With this Blood
by J-James
Summary: How will the sudden appearance of someone from Josef's very distant past affect everyone in the here and now?  And more importantly, who will survive it?
1. Chapter 1

**With this Blood…….**

**Rated PG-13**

**Disclaimers:** Mick, Josef, Beth and Coraline belong to CBS and Warner Brothers. All other characters are the property of the author. No copyright infringement intended.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tell me you're kidding," was the only thing that Mick St. John could think of saying. He stared incredulously over the top of the Ferrari F430 Spider as Josef Konstantin exited the vehicle on the other side.

Josef laughed heartily as he answered, "Why would you think that I'm kidding, my friend?" Giving Mick a pitying smile, he continued, "I haven't given up on you, Mick."

Mick closed the car door, possibly with more force than was truly needed as he spun away from his ancient friend. He walked toward the entrance of the ultra-stylish house and waited for Josef to join him. Turning then, Mick was more than a little annoyed to see the smirk still plastered on Josef's face.

"Oh, don't look at me that way," Josef almost laughed. "I didn't say you had to do anything with them. I just said that they were interested." Shrugging a shoulder, he continued, "What you do about it is your decision."

Sighing heavily, Mick closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. The truth was that he knew that Josef meant no harm. On more than one occasion, his friend had been almost a savior to him, saving him sometimes even from himself. Still, there were times when he didn't appreciate Josef's meddling ways. Manipulating stocks and funds had honed his over-zealous desire to control. Mick, however, was no fool. He knew too that Josef still hoped that Mick would renounce his changed ways and revert to the old days of seemingly endless parties and hordes of more than willing women. Even through his haze of annoyance, Mick had to admit that there had been more than a few times over the last twenty years when he had been sorely tempted to do just that. Which brought Mick back to this moment's problem; Josef had arranged for Mick to have some "company" for an upcoming celebration. Two redheads, Mick noted with more than passing interest. Redheads……no blondes….no brunettes. Coincidence? He didn't think so.

Deciding to drop the problem for the moment, Mick asked, "So what is this party for anyway?" It wasn't the first time he'd asked, and he had yet to receive any sort of discernable answer.

Josef hesitated but a moment as he opened the front door, threw his friend a wry smile and continued on as if he hadn't heard the question. Mick shook his head and quietly laughed. Some things never changed, and some mysteries, perhaps, were meant to go unsolved.

The two strolled through the foyer toward the expansive living are, when Josef suddenly and rather abruptly stopped. His head snapped up, eyes wide as he stood frozen in place.

"Josef?" Mick stared at his friend with more than a little concern because it almost appeared as if Josef was in pain. He could have sworn any color had drained from his face and a look of complete shock registered all over his features. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, something caught the corner of his eye. That's when he noticed that they weren't alone.

Not fifteen feet behind where Josef was now riveted to the spot, a woman stood, head tilted to one side, arms elegantly draped out across the chest on which she leaned, one ankle crossed over the other. Mick's first impression was that she resembled a bird of prey with wings outstretched. An extremely stylish bird of prey. The woman was wearing a deep forest green skirted suit. Each inch of fabric appeared to have been form fitted to her every line and curve. Although not up-to-date on women's fashion, Mick couldn't help but realize that what she wore had to be straight off a runway of Milan or Paris. Her upswept auburn hair was pinned back with a jeweled clip leaving just a small sweep of hair to gently caress one cheek. Every inch of her screamed elegance and sophistication and, Mick noted, deadly cunning. Perhaps it was her eyes, now transfixed on Josef's back that gave that impression. Mick wasn't sure, but he did know that at that moment, he was glad that he wasn't in her cross-hairs.

"Hello, Josef," the woman purred, her voice a lulling pitch of seduction and control. The accent, Mick couldn't place immediately, somewhere in eastern Europe perhaps, maybe even Russian. He switched his attention to his friend and noticed a slight tremor ripple through his body as his eyes briefly closed and then opened again, a look passing over his face that Mick was hard pressed to read.

Mick watched then as Josef slowly turned to face his visitor. Once their eyes met, Mick watched a sensuous smile spread across the woman's face, her eyes alight and almost glowing.

"Have you missed me?" she asked as she slowly pulled herself fully upright. Mick watched in amazement as she almost effortlessly glided across the floor to the object of her unwavering attention. He'd never seen anyone move quite like her. It was almost akin to watching a leopard slowly stalk its prey, head held perfectly steady, legs moving only as much as needed. She stopped only when she was directly in front of Josef, her body practically flush with his. She then reached her exceptionally manicured hands up and ran the backs of her fingers first up the sides of his face and then down again. Her hands then came to rest, one at the nape of his neck and the other against his chest. And the whole time, Mick watched, almost as spellbound as Josef himself. There was a palpable tension in the air, almost giving the impression of electricity freely flowing everywhere. If he could feel it some seven feet away, he could only imagine what Josef was experiencing at that moment. His friend was indeed mesmerized by this woman, Mick noted. He watched as Josef's breathing seemed to be erratic, his eyes locked onto the face of the creature whose body was now molded to his.

The woman's eyes quickly shifted then, peering over Josef's shoulder, she looked at Mick for the first time. Her eyes held his and Mick could have sworn he could feel a tremor race through his body. From the moment he had seen her leaning against the chest behind them, he, of course, had known that she was a fellow vampire. The question now, as he gazed into her fathomless eyes was how old this being was. Her eyes held such depth and primeval knowledge, that she had to have easily been the oldest vamp he'd ever seen.

Still addressing Josef, she asked, "And who is this?" Her eyes, however, never left Mick's.

Some semblance of intelligent thought returned to Josef, and he was able to respond in a slightly weakened voice. "Elena Yadviga Korzha……meet Mick St. John."

Mick's eyes widened slightly as Josef introduced the two. Everything had been explained in that one moment. He understood now why Josef had reacted the way he did. He also realized now why he'd gotten the impression that he had of this woman. She was indeed old…….ancient even. Older than any vampire that either Mick or Josef had ever come in contact with. But more importantly and much more significantly…….

……she was Josef's sire.

To be continued…….

---


	2. Chapter 2

**With This Blood……. Part Two**

The longer Elena continued to stare into his eyes, the weaker Mick felt. He almost had the sensation of being drained, but from no discernable source. The only other time that Mick had ever felt that type of force, that horrible weakening sensation, had been the night that Coraline had turned him into a vampire. Although many things were still hazy about that evening, the one impression he would never forget was the disturbing feeling of having his life slowly drained away. It seemed that this Elena had found a way to do this psychically, or at least it felt that way. Mick had heard of psychic vamps, of course, beings who fed off the energy of other living things and sometimes even nature herself. He had never been too sure if their abilities rang true or not, but perhaps after meeting this woman, he would have to change his mind.

"Mick?" Elena asked finally, "Would that be short for Michael?"

Mick was flustered for a minute before summoning the effort to answer. It was the first time she had addressed him directly, and he wasn't sure that he liked the sensation that brought. "Y….yes…." he heard himself almost mumble.

Her smile widened, but didn't quite reach her ageless eyes. "Good……I have no appreciation for casualness. So-called nicknames are far too tedious…..too pedestrian. You were given a good, strong, masculine name……you should use it." Practically leering at Mick, her eyes traveled slowly first down his body and then up again before adding, "It suits you."

Mick watched as she thankfully returned her attention to Josef. He pitied his friend in a way, but still felt greatly relieved when Elena's focus shifted away from him.

Caressing the side of Josef's face, she pitched her voice lower, softer, "You did not answer my question, my love……..have you missed me?" Gazing deeply into his eyes, she raptly awaited his answer.

Mick couldn't see Josef's face from where he stood, but he could read his body language easily enough. The shock had now obviously worn off for he could see that Josef now was leaning more fully into the embrace of the woman before him. His hands which had remained at his sides during the initial part of the exchange now caressed the small of her back, and even pulled her more firmly against him. His head had dipped forward as well, his lips now but a hair's breadth away from hers.

Mick felt extremely uncomfortable watching the intimate exchange. He wanted to at least look away if not leave the premises entirely. Two things kept him riveted to the spot, however. The first being that he felt physically unable to actually move. The brief exchange with Elena had left him almost devoid of any strength. He doubted that he would even be able to make it to the door. The second reason for him staying in place was his concern for his best friend. Over the years, Josef had on more than one occasion given him details of his relationship with his sire. Turbulent, vicious, explosive and yes, even passionate, had all been words he had used to describe it. The undercurrent of passion he could clearly see for himself, but he also feared what this exchange could develop into. He felt obligated to remain, even though realistically both he and Josef together would be no match for this Elena Korzha, possibly the most powerful vampire either one of them would ever know.

"I always miss you," Josef responded softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

He was rewarded with a soft yet sensual kiss before Elena pulled back far enough to add, "You were always my favorite………but you knew that, did you not?" Her hands now skimmed along the shoulders of Josef's impeccably tailored suit, before gliding down his arms and grasping his hands. Stepping back from him then, their hands still clasped between them, she added, "You seem so surprised to see me here. Did you truly believe that I would forget the celebration?"

Mick cocked his head at the mention of a celebration. Could she possibly be referring to the extravaganza that Josef had been planning meticulously for at least the last month, the gathering that seemed without reason until this very moment? If Mick hadn't already been intrigued, he was definitely now. He certainly wanted to know how Elena played into the festivities.

"I expected you would come…….I just didn't expect to see you today……that's all," Josef explained, his voice regaining some of its force and vigor. "It has been…..awhile though…….I wasn't sure if…….."

"…..I still existed?" Elena finished for him, a look of amusement twinkling in her changeless eyes.

Josef had the decency to look embarrassed by the thought. He looked at the floor between the two of them and looked for all intents and purposes like a school boy who had just been corrected by his teacher. Mick was more than somewhat disturbed by his friend's reaction. Josef was over 400 years old. The thought of him being whipped into place by another, even his sire, angered him.

A soft chastising laugh bubbled form Elena's mouth, but her eyes had taken on an almost feral quality. The expression of amusement may have indicated mirth but the look in her eyes said otherwise. Mick observed as the smile slowly drained from Elena's face. Her facial expression then was unreadable, but her eyes momentarily blazed, the irises glowing a color that he had never seen on another vampire. They pulsated an orange red color, seemingly indicative of an internal inferno, a conflagration barely contained. Mick could only guess at what this truly immortal woman was capable of. What powers had she honed to a knife's edge in her centuries old life? It was widely known amongst the vamp community that the longer a being lived, the stronger and more powerful they became. What capability would a millennium of existence bring?

A cursory blink of her eyes erased the look that had been there for but an instant. For whatever reason, she had suppressed the momentary urge to lash out and punish. The smile returned once more, as she turned her attention back to Mick.

"You will attend, will you not, Michael?" Finally relinquishing her spot in front of Josef, she eased her way across the floor and stopped directly in front of Mick. Looking up through her lashes, a practiced pleasurable smile on her face, she added, "One should be surrounded by friends and those loved on one's birthday, would you not agree?" Mick's look of confusion clearly amused her, so she added, "Not his mortal birthday, of course. Such an event is irrelevant now. I'm speaking of the day that I turned him…..." She looked over her shoulder at Josef, who also now faced in her direction. "……the day that I made him into a god."

Returning her attention back to Mick, she tilted her head to one side as she studied him more carefully. A smirk quirked the edge of her mouth. "Who, may I ask, brought you over, Michael?"

Mick stared down into the face of the woman now a little too close for comfort. She wasn't quite as near as she had been to Josef, but her presence still left him more than a bit overwhelmed. He could almost feel an energy pulse emanating from her body. He found it puzzling, mystifying, unnerving and more than a little arousing. The latter disturbed him more than the former. He glanced up briefly at Josef before responding and was startled to find his friend's eyes transformed to that vamp icy blue and fangs clearly visible as he practically snarled. Obviously Josef was not pleased that Mick was now the center of Elena's attention. And the thought that his friend could be so visibly jealous gave Mick pause. What power did this creature have over those around her? And what type of bond apparently existed between these two?

Looking down at Elena once more, he finally summoned the power to respond. "My wife……my wife turned me on our wedding night." He truly did not want to go into the details. The memory still stung, the betrayal still all too fresh in his mind.

Elena observed him for a moment before countering, her eyes seemingly drilling into his very soul. "You did not wish this?" she asked, although the question was delivered more as a statement.

"No…..no I didn't," was all he could say in response. Mostly because he wanted to avoid the discussion but also because making any sort of conversation was completely depleting whatever strength he had left.

As Elena placed her seemingly delicate, yet deadly, hand on the center of his chest, Mick could hear what could only be described as an animalistic growl coming from his friend not 6 feet away. His gaze rippled between the woman before him and Josef, who was unmistakably not pleased with what he was witnessing.

"She presented you with a gift, Michael, the ultimate act of love. You feel no appreciation for this, that is obvious. Some day……..some day, you will." She observed him keenly for a heartbeat or two more before withdrawing herself from him. As she did so, Mick could feel the overpowering sense of drowning seep from his body and mind. Breathing deeply, he tried to clear his muddled mind.

Mick noted that Josef's eyes had yet to return to their normal color. And more importantly, they still were fixated on Mick. He found that being the object of Josef's anger was disconcerting to say the least.

Surely his friend knew that he held no design on his sire. Even though he was aware that Josef was not thinking clearly at the moment, how could he even think that Elena held any attraction for him? For just a brief second, a horrible thought crossed his mind. What if would have to battle Josef?

That thought unnerved him most of all.

To be continued……….

--


	3. Chapter 3

**With this Blood……….Part 3 **

Mick watched as Elena slithered over to Josef and returned to the position she had held previously. He saw that she waited for a heartbeat or two more before commanding his attention, which had yet to waver from the unspoken hostility that was still directed at him.

"Josef!" Elena demanded, although to be fair she never quite raised her voice in doing so. Perhaps it was just the inflection used, or the consonants more acutely pronounced that gave the impression of the word being delivered as an order. For whatever reason, Josef's attention immediately snapped back to the woman before him.

Her smile returned as she reached her hand up once more to caress the side of his face. Mick watched this with furrowed brow and decided that the gesture reminded him more of an owner petting an animal than a human displaying affection for another. But then again, these two were no longer human. Elena especially was older than he could even fathom. Certainly all vestiges of humanity had faded away many, many centuries ago. Josef, however, still had moments when those last traces of humanity would still seep through. He liked to deny it, pretend that the idea was absurd, but Mick had witnessed it first hand. The night he had told Josef that Lola was dead sprang to mind. He could still recall seeing the traces of tears in his old friend's eyes.

"I believe that it is time that I took my leave," she informed Josef, her eyes scanning his face as if memorizing every detail, and Mick couldn't help but feel what she was really doing was scrutinizing his reaction, reading the minutiae. Her smile widened so it was obvious that she had seen something that pleased her. Did she see disappointment in her coming absence perhaps? A longing for her to stay longer? Whatever it had been, it most certainly had delighted her. She leaned up then and placed an almost chaste kiss on Josef's cheek. Gracing him with one more lingering smile, she stepped away then and began to glide toward the door.

At that instant, the door opened and a man in a black suit stepped in and stopped. Mick had never seen this person before, but apparently Elena knew him for she nodded her head briefly to him in acknowledgement before turning back once more.

"I will be in touch. We have many arrangements to make for your celebration, and I guarantee you an evening that you will never forget," she added, her smile almost taking on a sinister quality as her gaze drifted first to Josef and then to Mick. She turned on heel then and exited the building, her lackey closely in tow.

Mick glanced quickly at his friend and saw that Josef had yet to move from his position, in fact his stare remained squarely fixed to the spot that Elena had occupied just seconds earlier. Ignoring him for but a moment, Mick hurried toward the door and cracked it open just enough to see outside. He barely caught a glimpse of Elena's forest green suit as she slipped into the back of a very expensive Bentley sedan. The man escorting her quickly closed her door before proceeding to the driver's side of the vehicle. Mick continued for a second more as he saw the car pull away. Closing the door again, he turned back to Josef.

Mick was a bit concerned when he saw that Josef's eyes remained unfocused, almost if her was in some sort of trance. Having seen Elena for himself, he wouldn't have doubted her ability to do just that.

"Josef."

Mick received no response, and the uneasy feeling in his gut seemed to grow of its own volition. Walking forward, he approached the older man and grasped him firmly by the upper arms and even shook him a bit. "Josef!"

Josef's head snapped back for just a second, almost as if he had been slapped. Blinking several times, he finally became aware of Mick's presence and looked him in the eyes. Mick watched a myriad of emotions flash through Josef's orbs before he finally came back to himself.

Josef took several shuddering breaths before he was finally able to say, "I'm fine." Seeing the disbelieving look on his friends face, he added, "Really."

"Really?" Mick reiterated dubiously. "Look, I have no idea what just happened, but you looked anything but fine." Finally letting go of Josef's arms, he walked away a bit, scrubbed his hand over his face and turned back toward Josef. "So…..that's Elena."

Josef laughed wryly, "Yeah……that's my Elena." Shaking his head, still trying to clear his thoughts, he walked toward the liquor cabinet. With a slightly shaky hand, he poured himself a hefty dose of scotch and proceeded to down the lot in one swallow. Grimacing more than a little, he regained his breath before pouring another glassful, this time sipping it rather than gulping.

"So talk to me," Mick requested, as he watched Josef amble over and sit on the arm of one of the living area's chairs. Walking slowly forward, he stopped in front of Josef and looked down at his friend.

Josef huffed a little, but continued to look into his glass. Finally, sensing that Mick wasn't even going to attempt to let this drop, he looked up, shrugged one shoulder while smiling impishly, "What can I say? She drives me crazy."

"You think??" Mick asked with more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Josef…..you looked like you were ready to tear my head from my body bare-handed not 5 minutes ago! And all you can say is that she drives you crazy!"

Josef placed his now empty glass on the side table, got up quickly and began pacing. He threaded his hands behind his head and began babbling, "It's always been like this. One moment she's as alluring and playful and amazing as you could ever imagine a woman to be, and the next she's stalking, trapping and practically killing me. High….low…. he stopped cold when he heard Mick start to laugh. Dropping his hands, he asked with more than a hint of indignation, "What in the hell do you find so funny about this?"

It took a minute for Mick to get control of himself. Shaking his head, a smile still plastered to his face, he finally responded, "One word…..Coraline."

Josef rolled his eyes, and with an exasperated sigh, he exclaimed, "Elena is nothing like Coraline!"

Mick's eyebrows shot up. "You really don't see it do you? She _is_ Coraline. Well, what Coraline will be in 1000 years or so." Mick chuckled and added, "Josef, look….Elena drives you crazy, you said it yourself. It's an intense love, hate, hot, cold relationship that you have absolutely no control over. You almost despise the thought of her when she's not around you and you can't get enough of her when she is." Pausing for just a moment to see if his words were getting through, he continued, "She knows exactly which buttons to push, and she takes incredible pleasure out of seeing you jump through hoops for her. And the worst part of all is that when you do jump through those hoops, she leaves you with the feeling that it was your idea in the first place."

Mick could see that as much as Josef wanted to deny it, deep down inside he could see that he was right. Josef opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it and walked back to the chair he had been resting against a moment earlier. He threaded his hands together in front of him and with his head tilted down, he asked, "Christ…..what the hell am I going to do?"

Mick moved to sit opposite him, mimicked his pose and asked, "I don't know…..what do you usually do when you see her?"

Josef looked up and paused a second before responding, "I try my best to survive it. Damn…..I wish I had a better answer than that, but that's what I do. I try my hardest to just get through it. When it's almost unbearable, I try to remember what it was like at the beginning, back when she was literally the center of my whole life. She taught me not only how to survive as a vampire but also how to thrive, manipulate and conquer the world around me. When it's good………damn……it's the most amazing feeling in the world, the ultimate high. But when it goes bad……." his sentence trailed off, and Mick could see Josef wince at some painful memory.

"How bad?" was all that Mick could think to ask. In a way he wanted to know, but truthfully he put the question out there more as an incentive for Josef to maybe lighten his burden a bit. The seconds ticked by, and he started to think that he wouldn't receive a reply.

"The worst," Josef began slowly, his voice low and slightly strained, "….the worst came almost 200 years ago. I honestly don't remember what started it all. I swear I don't." Josef stopped to take a deep breath. "Maybe it was nothing more than a look I gave her…….I don't know. But one moment I was fine, the next I woke up in some darkened room. The windows were boarded up and it was completely empty of any furnishings. I was completely alone, lying on the floor, and totally paralyzed. No restraints of any kind, just kept in place by some sort of force that I couldn't see or feel." Josef looked up at Mick for just a moment before continuing. "She just left me there. For weeks, Mick…..for weeks. How long have you gone without feeding? Huh? You want to know what happens? After a day or two, the hunger becomes a small annoyance that feels more like an itch under your skin that you just can't reach. A few days more and it morphs into a full body pain. You can actually feel the progression of it wrack your body. A week goes by and you start to become delirious, the pain so intense that you're no longer thinking clearly. Then comes the madness as you can feel your body and mind shutting down, breaking down on almost a molecular level. The decay that we stave off through feeding begins to take over, skin withering, muscle and bone start to turn to dust, your eyes start to sink back into your skull. But the worst part? The worst part is that your mind _doesn't_ shut down. You pray for the blackness to take you but it never happens. You live through each unbelievably wretched moment completely and utterly aware, and unable to escape."

Mick felt almost sick hearing the details of what Josef had been through. He tried to imagine what it had been like, but failed in the attempt. He thought he had been through a lot out in the desert. The time that he felt he had been dying from too much exposure to the sun. Compared to what Josef had been through, it paled in comparison.

"So what happened?" Mick finally found the strength to ask.

Josef sighed despondently before answering, "She finally came for me……almost a month later. I could no longer see, but I could feel her presence as she stood above me. At that point I didn't care how she did it, but I just wanted it to stop. Kill me….revive me……I didn't care. I just prayed it would end. After minutes of her just standing there, I finally felt her move closer, to kneel next to me. A second or two more and I could feel something warm…..something liquid against my mouth." Josef stood then and walked a few feet away from where Mick still remained. "She fed me her own blood." Turning back around, he continued. "You know what that means. When you're turned by your sire, part of the bonding occurs because you have their blood flowing through your veins. By doing it again, she was even more thoroughly connecting the two of us together. I couldn't stop myself from feeding, but I hated her more and more as each drop entered my mouth. I knew it would never end. She would always be there, Mick. Forever…….and suddenly forever never seemed like such a death sentence before that moment."

Josef turned away yet again, his head bowed in front of him, his shoulders slumped as if in defeat. "I despise everything single thing about her….the look, the smell, the sound of her voice, the way she manipulates, the way she controls, the way she moves, her smiles, her gestures………..and I also love her so desperately that it's almost painful."

Mick took a deep breath and held it for a second before exhaling. "Damn……you are in major trouble, my friend."

A troubled laugh escaped Josef's lips before he turned once more and said, "Tell me something I don't know." Shaking his head weakly, he added, "Not just me, _my friend_. It seems that the Empress of Evil was more than a bit taken with you too."

Mick's eyes widened and a feeling of utter panic began to seep into his bones.

To be continued……….

--


	4. Chapter 4

**With This Blood………Part 4**

_You should bring Beth with you._

As Mick drove back home, he kept coming back to that one sentence.

_You should bring Beth with you._

With an intense look of concern on his face, Mick kept trying to figure out why Josef would want him to bring Beth to this party. Especially now. After meeting Josef's sire and listening to the horrific way that she had treated him in the past, Mick wasn't sure he wanted Beth to even be in the same state with Elena Korzha let alone in the same room. For the life of him, he couldn't understand what Josef was up to. And yes, he knew he was up to something. Not two hours ago, his old friend had been trying to set him up with two redheads, identical twins that went by the overly-precious twin names of Kandi and Karli. Now all of a sudden, he wanted him to bring his human……friend.

Sighing audibly, Mick's frown deepened. He honestly didn't know how to describe his relationship with Beth. Friend just didn't seem sufficient. But girlfriend didn't fit the description either. Besides, the word girlfriend seemed a bit much for a man who had just turned 85 years old. The term brought up memories of going to movies, hand holding while walking along a beach, sneaking kisses in restaurant booths……

A sudden and unexpected wave of loneliness washed over Mick. And try as he might, he couldn't overcome the feeling that everything good in his life seemed to be ebbing away from him. The ironic thing was that the closer he got to Beth, the more the feeling intensified. She'd stirred something awake inside him that he thought had been long dead and buried. Now he found that he longed more and more for the things he knew that he could never have again. Oh so many years ago, he had hoped for a successful career as a musician, a home, a wife and a family. Now, many years later, the dream of being a famous performer had died. His home sometimes felt more like a fortress. The one woman he had actually pledged to love until death, had cursed him for eternity, and the family he had envisioned, would never come to be. By allowing Beth to insinuate herself into his life, he could feel the walls that he had surrounded himself with begin to fail, threatening at any moment to crumble away completely. The idea of being close to someone, sharing in every aspect of his life ,thrilled him beyond reason. But knowing that nothing could ever truly come of that union nearly devastated him. He knew that he should distance himself from her, but he was also very much aware that he would never be able to follow through on that thought. For better or worse, in spite of the pain and agony having her close caused him, Mick knew that he would never have the strength to send her away.

Arriving back at his building, Mick pulled into his parking place and killed the Mercedes' engine. Instead of exiting the vehicle immediately, he stopped and permitted himself just a moment to fantasize about what life with Beth could have been like if things had happened differently. Closing his eyes, he could picture a lifetime with her. The two of them sharing and caring for the other through many happy and joy-filled years. She could have been the true life partner that he had always hoped for, a woman who would challenge him intellectually and emotionally and leave him the stronger for it. Someone who would insinuate themselves into every facet and niche of his life, filling up all of the empty spaces of his soul that he hadn't even known existed. And what of their children? He could see blonde haired blue eyed angels with glowing smiles almost achingly similar to their mother's and darker haired sons who would have not only his strength but also their mother's inquisitive nature. He could envision all of life's ups and downs and had no doubt that they could have weathered them all as long as they were together. He also saw the two growing older, both gray haired and growing weaker as life took it's inevitable toll. Until finally the time would come when she would leave him, his heart breaking but full with the memories and the love that she had given him. He had no doubt that he would follow soon after. What reasons would he have left to remain? He would have looked back on a life well lived and known that he could have done no better. Beth would have been his reason to live and without her, he knew that he would be ready to meet his end.

Whereas Coraline had consumed him body and soul, Beth had imprisoned his heart. He thought at one time that his now ex-wife had been the woman of his dreams, but that soon crumbled when he realized that everything he thought she had been had been based on lies and deceit. Beth had breezed into his life and opened herself to him with no pretension, no façade. How many times had he looked into her eyes and had plainly seen there everything that she was thinking and feeling. She truly was an open book to him and he felt compelled and drawn to read from each and every page. The more he knew about her, the more he wanted to discover. And somehow, he knew, on some instinctual level, that it would take a lifetime to learn everything. Oh but how he would have enjoyed the task.

Mick breathed deeply and tried to clear his fatigued mind. Opening his eyes, he stared off into nothing as he tried with more than some difficulty to overcome the mood that he plunged himself into. He knew better than to wish for what could never be. How many years had he spent burying these dreams? Decades it felt like. More than half his life had been spent in the pursuit of closing the door on foolish wishes. He thought he had secured that door, and was staggered to find that a blonde haired beauty had so effortlessly unbolted it with but a single smile, a gentle touch and a caring nature. He had tried almost desperately at first to keep her an arm's length away, but soon found it impossible. Not only because of her persistent nature, but also because somewhere deep down inside, he truly couldn't live without her in his life.

He thought for a second about the different paths that he and Josef walked. His friend was possessed of a woman he desperately wanted to be free of, but who also drew him in ways that even he couldn't fathom. Where Mick, on the other hand, was so desperately drawn to a woman he was hopelessly in love with but who could never be the lover he had dreamed of so many restless and sleepless days uncounted. How either one of them would ever find peace was anyone's guess.

Shaking his head almost violently in the hope of finally clearing his morose thoughts, Mick finally exited his car and made his way to the elevator. Once inside, he tried his very best to think of anything or anyone but Beth. At the moment, even occupying his mind with thoughts of Elena was preferable to sinking back into the depths of despair he was franticly trying to climb out of.

As the elevator finally made it to his floor, the doors opened and Mick felt like he had just been sucker punched. For standing right in front of him was the one person he really didn't want to see.

"Mick!" Beth exclaimed, clearly as shocked to see him as he was her. "I just….." she began, her finger pointing to his front door, "……I just stopped by to talk to you for a moment, and well…..you weren't here. Obviously," she laughed almost nervously. "I thought maybe……." she stopped then, finally registering that not only had he yet to exit the elevator car, but also noticing the look on his face.

Immediate concern creased her brow as she quickly asked, "What's wrong?" After a second or two more, when she received no response other than his continuing heartbreaking stare, she asked again, "Mick….what is it? What's happened?" Moving then, she reached in and grabbed his arm in order to retrieve him before the elevator doors closed.

Mick allowed her to pull him forward, stopping just outside the lift doors. He found that he couldn't say anything, just stare at her overly concerned features. He let his eyes drift over her face, her wide, amazingly open eyes, the skin so seemingly flawless, the lips he'd had the pleasure of touching only on one occasion, her straight patrician like nose. The face he had just been daydreaming about. Immediately all of those thoughts came back in a tidal wave of emotion and he could do nothing to hold it back. The dreamed of future, the life he would never have, but still hoped for, all threatened to engulf him and pull him under.

With an almost reverent touch, he reached out and traced her features with but the barest brush of his finger tips. He knew she didn't understand what was wrong, and at the moment he could find no words at all to explain. For one selfish moment, he just wanted to feel what could have been, to pretend that their worlds weren't so awfully far apart.

He cupped her face with his hands and stared deeply into her almost hypnotic eyes. His thumbs gently brushed her cheeks as he slowly lowered his lips to hers. He could feel her confusion slowly turn to acquiescence, as her lips molded themselves to his. It was soft, moist, gentle and unhurried. He changed the angle just a bit in order to more thoroughly explore what was so freely offered. His tongue licked at her bottom lip and he swore he could hear a soft groan start somewhere deep inside her. He pulled back just enough to allow her to breathe and was rewarded with a soft gasp escaping her parted lips. He then took her more fully into his arms, one hand on her lower back anchored her to him as the other plunged into the soft waves of her hair. He then consumed her as a dying man in a desert would once stumbling upon an oasis. She had once been that for him. Her life saving blood had saved him from an almost certain and painful death. Now, months later, her sweet kisses were like rain on his parched and weathered soul. He seemingly couldn't get enough, couldn't hold her close enough to him, couldn't stand the thought of ever letting her go. He could feel everything about her without even opening his eyes, the flush to her skin, the rapid beat of her heart, the way she moved against him fighting to get closer. He knew that it was wrong, but at the moment he wanted this, conscience be damned. Nothing could ever come from this moment, but he was powerless to stop what he had so readily started in his one second of weakness. He'd glimpsed a future full of love and wanted just this one moment of time to keep with him as a memento. Slowly, he eased out of the kiss, his lips skimmed along the line of her jaw and following the line of her throat to the hollow of her neck. He then buried his face in her soft hair as he held her to him, his arms tightly wound around her, knowing that this moment soon had to end and wanting to remember each and every detail of the this span of time. A small smile graced his mouth as he felt a contented sigh escape her now swollen lips. He refused to think about the outcome of his actions, instead he chose to live simply in the here and now.

------------------------------------------------------------

Many stories below, a very expensive car sat at the curb of Mick's building. Many a passer by looked at the sedan curiously. Los Angeles may be the home to some of the world's wealthiest, but it was still unusual to see a $250,000 Bentley parked in this neighborhood.

Inside the car, one very ancient, psychically gifted, vampire merely sat back and smiled. "So……he's in love," she said softly, to no one in particular. "How interesting." The smile was laced with something other than mirth, a look some would describe as deadly cunning.

To be continued……….

--


	5. Chapter 5

**With this Blood…….Part 5**

Pulling away from Beth finally, Mick simply stared at the face of the woman he had come to love more and more powerfully each day. He saw her open her mouth to say something but he quickly hushed her.

"Not now," was the only thing he could tell her.

Every cell in his body was screaming at him that this was meant to be. And truth be told, maybe it was. As in his dreams, a different time and place, different circumstances would have made this union spectacular. But there was one stumbling block that any amount of love on either of their parts could never overcome…….he was still a vampire and she was human. The only way he could ever see ahead for them as a couple was for her to be turned. And _that_ was one thing he would never do. The romanticism in the act was undeniable, but he could never curse another being with what he had become. He loved Beth too much to ever condemn her to the same fate that had been dealt him.

His most immediate problem was figuring out a way of telling Beth that although the moment they had just shared was overwhelmingly amazing, there truly was no future for the two of them as a romantic couple. How could he explain it to her when he couldn't even find the words to begin?

He took her hand then and led her to his apartment. He could see her inquisitive stare from the corner of his eye the entire time. She wanted answers. If nothing else, she wanted to know "why now". He didn't even need to hear the words to know that was forefront in her mind. How many weeks and months had he told her repeatedly that it was never meant to be?

Once inside, he took off his coat and walked a short distance away from her. Still facing away from her, he heard her finally break the silence.

"Oh no……" she began, her voice betraying more than just a hint of petulance. "No you don't. You are _not_ going to stand there and tell me that….that……that kiss meant nothing!"

Without turning around, Mick secretly smiled to himself. She could read his body language as surely as he could hers. Without even facing her, she could already tell what he had meant to say. He had to admire the observational skills. He also admired the fiery passion in her voice. A passion that spoke of feelings and desires lying much deeper, perhaps a well-spring of sensual pleasure, up to this moment, still untapped. Closing his eyes for a moment, Mick tried to calm the sudden rush of desire the thought brought with it. The kiss in the hallway had been meant to quash one craving. Instead, he found that it had opened the floodgates. Flashes of the two of them, bodies and hearts entwined, sweat drenched skin seductively sliding against the other, mouths and hands caressing and exploring hungrily. These erotic images and desires running through his mind suddenly threatened to overpower him.

He felt his body almost humming with sexual energy. Clamping his eyes more firmly shut, he took a deep shaky breath and tried desperately to control his now raging needs and desires.

Just as the wave of pure unadulterated need begin to slowly subside, Mick felt Beth's hand placed tenderly at the center of his back. He froze in place and wondered what she meant to do or say. He didn't have long to wait as he could feel the fingers of that hand splay out and begin a physically intense, slow journey up toward his shoulders. This was not the touch of a concerned friend. It was the touch of a lover and Mick knew he was lost.

He could feel his entire universe focus solely on the feel of her hand on his body. The firm yet gentle touch burned him and ignited all of his already heightened senses. Knowing that it was probably a mistake, he slowly turned to face her. As he did, her hand never left his body as it skimmed across his back and arm and finally came to rest in the center of his chest. She had yet to look up at him, and he was grateful for that. For no doubt, if she did, she would see his eyes transformed and glowing in anticipation of what might come. Instead, her focus was totally on the expanse of his chest and where her hand now rested.

"You have no heartbeat," he heard her quietly state, a sense of wonderment in her voice.

"No……our bodies don't function, for the most part, as they once did when we were human," he told her almost matter-of-factly, although even he could hear the only barely disguised need in his voice.

She looked up at him then, her eyes wide and intent. The first thing he noticed was her utter lack of fear when looking directly into the eyes of the monster within. How she could be so unafraid was beyond him, but he was grateful that she was for he now had very little control over what happened. As he gazed deeper, he noticed that she too was just as affected as he. Her beautiful blue eyes had darkened and were alight with a fire of their own. The creature inside him roared its approval and he felt the craving intensify a hundredfold. His hands grasped her possessively around the waist as he pulled her fully against him. He wanted her not only to see the need but to feel it as well. In answer, she wound her hands around his neck, plunging her hands into his hair.

She arched upwards, bringing her lips almost to his. He could feel her heated, moist breath as she whispered to him, her voice barely audible, "Show me……."

Mick felt any remaining control flee quickly as he obeyed her command. Sweeping her up into his arms, he quickly turned and headed for the stairs.

----------------------------------------------------

At BuzzWire's office, Maureen was searching for her young, blonde intrepid and sometimes fearless reporter. Beth had left earlier in the day and had yet to return from lunch.

"Steve!" she called out to one of her remote camera operators. "Have you seen Beth?"

Shaking his head in the negative, Steve responded, "Not since earlier. Why? Gotta new story for us?"

Looking down at the card in her hand, Maureen frowned slightly, "Sort of…..maybe. This was delivered earlier for her. It's some sort of invitation. I figured it had something to do with that accounting scandal piece she's been pursuing." Looking at the painstakingly perfect handwriting once more, she added, "I'm going to leave this on her desk. Will you make sure she gets it when she gets back?"

Waving his understanding, Steve went back to the conversation he'd been having with another employee.

As Maureen turned to head back to her office, she glanced once more at the decoratively neat and inhumanly precise script. Shaking her head as she walked away, she mumbled to herself, "I think someone needs to tell this Elena person to lighten up a bit. Nobody writes like that anymore."

To be continued…………..

--


	6. Chapter 6

**With this Blood………….Part 6**

Beth slowly walked into the BuzzWire office and meandered over to her desk. For several seconds she just stood there, almost as if she wasn't quite sure how she'd gotten there or what to do once she did.

"There you are!" came a loud voice from behind her.

Whirling, Beth looked at her editor and forced a smile on her face.

"Where'd you disappear to, girl?" asked Beth's editor. "Please tell me you have all sorts of juicy, jaw-dropping info on that banker."

Beth's mind cleared enough for her to answer semi-intelligently. "Ummm…..something like that. Sorry that I didn't come back yesterday afternoon. I was following up on a lead and…..well…..it didn't pan out quite like I expected."

"Ah, so we're talking dead end then, right?" came the disappointed reply.

"Dead end? No, I wouldn't say that exactly. Just might have to try a different tactic. That's all." Again Beth smiled, hoping that Maureen would end the cross examination soon. Truth be told, her mind was anywhere but on her work at the moment.

Maureen narrowed her eyes for a moment and then she perked up. Reaching past Beth, she picked up the card she had left there previously. Presenting the item, she continued, "Maybe this will be the kick off you need. Sounds like someone may have some info for you. And since you're spinning wheels otherwise, I suggest you take up the offer."

Beth took the card from Maureen's hand and glanced quickly at the writing. "What's this?"

"Came for you yesterday. Some courier or something dropped it off for you. No other information. Just handed it over and left."

Beth's brow furrowed as she read the name at the end of the invitation. "I never heard of this person."

"Well, whoever she is, she certainly knows you. This may be the big lead you've been searching for." Maureen placed her hand on Beth's arm, leaned in a bit and said in a softer voice, "I suggest you accept the invitation." Looking at her young reporter for a second more, Maureen smiled and then finally left Beth in peace.

Beth let out a sigh as she watched her editor walk away. Looking at the paper once more, she read the entirety of what was written there.

------------------------------------------

_Dear Miss Turner,_

_I hope that you will do me the honor of joining_

_me for dinner on this Wednesday, the 28th of _

_November at 7 o'clock in the evening. _

_I believe that I have information that will be of _

_value to you._

_Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel - Penthouse Suite  
_

_Most sincerely,_

_Elena Yadviga Korzha_

------------------------------------------

Beth had no idea who this Elena Korzha was and how she could possibly be involved in the story she had been researching. In all of her digging, not once had this Elena's name come up. Still, she figured, a lead was a lead. At least the atmosphere would be opulent. After all, the Penthouse Suite at the Beverly Wilshire didn't come cheap.

Setting the card aside, Beth sat down at her desk and tried her level best to focus. The task, however, was monumentally difficult to say the least. When she closed her eyes for even half a second, all she could picture was what had happened the day before. The afternoon……the evening…….and most of the night as well. A contented, and totally satisfied smile slowly eased her features.

To say that the previous day had been incredible would have been an understatement of epic proportions. She had been swept away, overwhelmed and completely and utterly engulfed in a tidal wave of emotion, of sensation, of pleasure, and yes, even some pain. Absently her hand floated to the still sensitive wound she had just above her left breast. Her fingers ghosted across the bandage that now marked the place she considered almost sacred. She could feel the gauze hidden beneath her clothes and her eyes drifted shut of their own volition.

Even now, although she would be hard pressed to explain…….even now she felt as if Mick's hands were still on her body. Still caressing, still teasing……playing her as if she were an instrument and he was the only one who knew which melody would bring her to culmination. The moment he brought her upstairs, she could see how much he was struggling to contain the vampire within him. His eyes had blazed an icy white/blue color, his fangs clearly visible as his mouth was pulled back in an almost ferocious expression. She should have been frightened, but all she could feel was the power he exuded, the desire she saw in the depths of those nearly colorless orbs. He had set her down and then proceeded to stalk her as she eased away from him. She did so, not out of fear, but because a part of her loved the feeling of being pursued. With each step, she swore she could see the craving multiple ten fold. It was exhilarating. Never had she felt more desired, more wanted, and it was a heady feeling.

Once her back hit the nearest wall, he soon had her pinned there, his hands possessive and needy as they freely roamed her body. His touch was not gentle, but at the moment, she didn't want it to be. She wanted to experience this as much as she could from his perspective. She wanted the beast to break free within him. She wanted to finally and fully see what he had been so careful to keep hidden from her, what he had buried out of shame and regret. She wanted him wild and untamed. And she thought she knew how to do just that.

"Take me," she commanded him, her voice shaky and weak as her own need and desire bubbled just below the surface.

She watched as his eyes quickly shifted from their perusal of her body and immediately locked with hers. For a second, she thought he would refuse, that he would leave her hanging on that knife's edge alone, that he would second guess his actions and retreat. For more than a heartbeat, she waited with baited breath as he made his final decision.

His hands drifted to her face, his touch once again gentle and she feared he would indeed stop what had been started. He then flattened his hands against the column of her neck, spreading the material of her blouse away in the process. He then stared hungrily at the flesh he saw there. His nostrils flared as he took in her scent. His eyes flicked once more to hers before he fiercely grabbed the edges of her shirt and nearly ripped it from her body in one quick move. She gasped in shock. The action may have taken her by surprise, but it also amplified her own wants immeasurably. The next moments passed in a hormone overloaded blur as he quickly stripped both of them of any other pieces of clothing. Before she knew what was happening, he had her pinned to the bed, one hand clamped almost painfully to one of her hips, the other planted firmly against the padded headboard as he braced himself above her.

His movements were hurried and fevered, his amazingly handsome face transformed to one of almost a snarling fearsome beast. For but the briefest of seconds she gazed at him and found him glorious. Soon though, she felt her world become smaller and smaller, everything in her focusing on her impending climax. The only thing that distracted her was a noise almost akin to a whimper coming from somewhere deep in Mick's chest. She opened her eyes to see him grimace as he tried desperately to turn his head from her. She knew instantly what the problem was. The beast had been unleashed, and it was demanding more than just the physical pleasure of this union. She could see Mick trying desperately to control it, but failing miserably. She forcibly turned his face toward her and aimed him to where he needed and wanted to be; directly to the side of her neck. She could feel him nibble and lap at her neck and braced herself for what she knew would come next. He surprised her then, when his questing mouth went a bit lower and lower still until it found the tender flesh of her breast. With no warning at all, he reared back suddenly and then almost fiercely pierced her flesh. The white hot pain that accompanied his bite quickly faded and was replaced by an startlingly erotic sense of completion, of fulfillment, of true joining. In that instant, her orgasm thundered through her like nothing she had ever felt before in her life. An almost blinding white light exploded behind her eyes and she felt everything within her stop for one mind-alteringly incredibly moment as she rode wave after wave of pleasure.

Taking in a trembling breath, Beth's eyes snapped back open as she looked quickly about her in the BuzzWire office. Her face was flushed, her hands trembled slightly and she could only imagine what someone would think if they found her like this.

The moment was seared in her memory. Nothing she had ever experienced before had ever compared. She thought she had known what passion was. Now she knew different. She recalled then that even after the moment had dissipated, the lingering sense of almost floating bonelessly had stayed with her for a very long time. She had almost experienced then what some would describe as an out-of-body occurrence. When she had finally opened her eyes, she saw first that Mick had transformed back to his stunningly gorgeous self. His eyes looked somewhat concerned as he tended to the wound he had left behind. She saw herself reach out a hand and caress his cheek reassuringly as a satisfied and glowing smile curved her mouth. The gesture seemed to ease his concern as she saw his eyes soften and then light with a joy she had never seen before from him. He kissed her then. A kiss so vastly different from what they had shared before coming upstairs. This was a kiss between lovers, a sign of sharing and tenderness.

Beth recalled then the hours that passed between them afterwards. He had explained about the need for blood and how they would need to be very careful about initiating anything too physical between them. She was, after all, human and although she would be able to stand a certain amount of blood loss now and then, he wouldn't risk her health simply to fulfill his passion for her. She remembered starting to object and he had quickly quieted her, explaining that just because they couldn't have intercourse on a regular basis, it didn't mean that they couldn't enjoy a more physical side to their relationship. And to make his point, he had spent the rest of the evening proving just that. Her body still tingled thinking of the deliciously uncounted ways he had brought her gratification time after time after time. It was by sheer force of will that she had found a way to leave him that morning as the sun rose. She wanted nothing more than to stay wrapped up in him throughout the day, but she knew that he needed his rest. And that rest, included a freezer, something she couldn't join him in. She'd suggested it, but he had merely laughed before proceeding to kiss her senseless and sending her on her way.

Now, hours later, she wondered what he was doing. Had he risen from his rest yet? Should she call him or wait for him to call her? She shook her head and wondered absently when she had turned into a teenaged girl again.

Beth glanced at the invitation still lying on her desk and wondered how the sender would feel about postponing the dinner until another night. She really had no desire to see anyone else other than Mick that night. Maybe she should call……

Her reverie was disturbed by her ringing cell phone. Fishing the device out of her over-sized purse, she glanced at the screen and was pleasantly surprised to see Mick's name on the caller ID. With a rather large smile plastered to her face, she answered.

"Hey you," she practically purred, her voice pitched low and soft, every ounce of seductiveness she could muster infusing the words.

A small chuckle met her ears before he responded, "Hey yourself. You promise to keep answering like that and I'll promise to call you more often."

"That's a deal." Glancing around the office for a second, she continued, "I've been missing you," she told him truthfully, the playfulness now gone as she spoke form her heart.

"I've missed you too, and……I've been thinking a lot about you."

A secret smile turned her lips. "Oh yeah? Anything in particular about me you've been thinking of?" she questioned, her cheeks blushing slightly.

Another laugh came from the other end of the line before he answered, "I can think of one or two things. Shall I elaborate?" he asked, a hint of mischievousness in his deep and seductive voice.

The blush that was coloring Beth's face now spread to her neck and deepened. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "You'd better not. I'm having a hard enough time as it is keeping myself under control."

"Ah yes….work. Mustn't forget about work," he stated seriously although she could have sworn she heard just a hint of humor in his voice. "Speaking of which," he continued, "I have a dinner that I need to go to tonight."

Beth was immediately disappointed at the thought of not seeing Mick as soon as she could after leaving work. She'd been counting the hours and minutes and now it seemed that it would have to be even longer than anticipated.

"Oh…..what kind of dinner?" she asked, trying not to let the disappointment show in her voice.

"Josef called. He wants me to go with him to meet with……ummm….an acquaintance of his."

Beth couldn't tell, but it seemed for a second that he was about to say something else before changing his words.

"Can't get out of it, huh?" she questioned hopefully.

"I'm afraid not. This really means a lot to him," he replied and she could sense that he meant what he said. As much as she wanted to see Mick, she understood what his friendship with Josef meant to him.

"Okay. I actually was supposed to meet with a source at 7:00PM. I was going to try to reschedule, but I guess I won't now," she told him.

There was an awkward moment or two as it seemed neither one was too happy about their current situations. Mick was the one to finally break the silence as he interjected, "I'm not sure how long I'll be, but why don't you come to my place after your meeting. You can let yourself in with the remote I gave you this morning."

The smile returned to Beth's face as she answered, "All right. I'll swing by my apartment, pick up a few things and I'll see you when I see you."

"Sounds good. I'd better let you get back to work then."

"Yeah…..considering I haven't gotten much done today, I guess I'd better at least make it look like I'm focused on my job," she said chuckling. "I'll see ya later then."

"Beth……." Mick began tentatively and then stopped.

She listened for a second or two before sensing what he had been trying to say.

"Me too," she practically whispered into the phone.

She swore she heard a relieved sigh before he simply said, "Bye."

"Bye, Mick." Disconnecting the phone, Beth leaned back in her chair and was sure that she had to be grinning like a loon at the moment. And frankly, she didn't care who saw it. She switched her focus and picked up the invitation yet again.

Whispering to herself, she said, "This better be good, Elena Korzha."

To be continued……….

--


	7. Chapter 7

**With This Blood………..Part 7**

Beth entered the lobby of the Regent Beverly Wilshire and took a moment to appreciate its rather opulent furnishings. Certainly some of the richest and most famous had stayed here over the years. Looking around, she could understand why.

Spotting an elevator across the massive room, she headed in that direction and was met with an attendant waiting just outside the lift's doors.

"Hi. Is this how I would get up to the Penthouse Suite?" she asked politely.

The young man smiled professionally and requested, "May I have your name please?"

"Beth Turner," she replied, returning his smile.

She watched as he retrieved a sheet of paper from his jacket pocket. He quickly scanned the list, looked up at her briefly before returning the item to its proper place. "Of course, Ms. Turner." He used a key then to activate the elevator and escorted her inside.

"Thank you," she told him quietly as the two began their ascent. It hadn't even occurred to her that she would need to be cleared to reach the upper levels of the hotel. She secretly thanked her host for having thought of that detail. Suddenly remembering the painstakingly perfect writing that had graced the invitation, she was struck with the thought that this Elena Korzha would probably never forget ANY detail.

Within mere seconds, the car arrived at the proper floor. "Just to your right, Ms. Turner," the attendant informed her, before adding, "Enjoy your evening."

Stepping outside the elevator, Beth smiled and thanked the man before turning in the proper direction. As the doors slid shut behind her, she quickly looked around and noticed that there were only 2 doors visible on this floor. One clearly stated "Penthouse Suite" and the other was unmarked. Probably staff entrance, she thought absently.

Approaching the door, she paused briefly before knocking. Beth was somewhat startled when the door was answered within seconds by a rather austere, stern looking gentleman.

Before she could say anything, He opened the door further and stepped clear so that she could enter. He surprised her further when he said, "Welcome, Miss Turner."

Beth opened her mouth and then closed it swiftly. She wanted to ask how he knew who she was, but for some reason thought better of it. For whatever reason, she got the impression that this man would not be especially interested in striking up a conversation with her.

After shutting the door, he proceeded to walk around her and headed in the direction of the massive living area. "Please, if you will make yourself comfortable, I will tell the mistress that you are here." With a quick nod of his head and no further discussion, he walked away and through a set of doors at the far end of the room.

Beth shook her head at the man's curious behavior and then took the opportunity to survey her surroundings. A nearly silent, "Wow," escaped her mouth as she looked about her. Enormous would have been an understatement. At first glance, she was positive that the living room alone would have been big enough to hold her entire apartment 2 or 3 times over. And the furnishings…….the furnishings looked to be something out of a museum. Gold fixturing, sumptuous fabrics at every turn, ornately carved furniture, artwork she was sure the Louvre would love to get their hands on, and a chandelier she could only gawk at as she admired the amazing crystal design of the enormous fixture. A room like this had but one purpose, and that was to impress. And Beth had to readily admit, it worked.

Walking further into the room, she stopped to admire one of the paintings that graced the walls. She didn't know a lot about 18th or 19th century painters, but she couldn't help but realize that this had to be an original. She tentatively reached out a hand and barely brushed her fingers across its surface, when a voice startled her out her reverie.

"Magnificent, is it not?" the voice spoke almost from directly behind her.

Beth whirled quickly and was embarrassed to find herself so completely caught off guard. She quickly regarded the woman standing in front of her, taking in her impeccably perfect appearance, before responding, "Yes…..yes it is. Quite magnificent."

"It was created by a Russian artist by the Isaak Levitan. It is called 'The Lake'. An unfinished work, I am afraid, but stunning nonetheless. Would you not agree?"

Beth glanced once more at the work of art and had to admit that it was indeed impressive. Unfinished? She would have never guessed that, but the woman standing before her certainly seemed to know the difference. "Yes……it's breathtaking," she finally replied.

Beth returned her attention to the person now staring most intently at her. Beth quickly scanned the woman's appearance. Perfect. Impeccable. Flawless. Stylish. These were all words that immediately sprung to mind. Even this close up, Beth would have been hard pressed to find one single flaw. Not a wrinkle, not a hair out of place, clothes any woman would have died for. Even her make-up had been applied with an artist's care. The overall impression was that of being in the presence of prominence and precision.

For a heartbeat or two more, Beth continued to be the subject of the woman's penetrating stare, but a smile soon graced her flawlessly painted lips. "I am Elena Korzha, Miss Turner. I am most pleased that you were able to join me this evening." She then extended a well-manicured hand.

Beth took Elena's hand in hers as she politely returned her smile. "It's my pleasure. I assure you. You're note was intriguing to say the least. I have to admit that when I reviewed the documents…….." Beth stopped when Elena shook her head with a somewhat amused smile on her face.

"Miss Turner, please…….indulge me if you will. I do not often entertain and I would consider it an honor if we could pass the evening in pleasant conversation before turning our thoughts to matters of business."

Beth was at a loss as to what to think of her interaction with this woman so far. She was extremely polite. She had an old world aura about her that she wasn't sure couldn't be chalked up , at least in part, to her heavily accented voice and a more than proper manner of speaking. One other thing left her slightly disconcerted, Elena had yet to release her hand. In fact she now held it lightly between both of her own. Not wanting to offend her host, she smiled politely and tried her best not to yank her hand away.

Almost as if she had read her mind, Elena finally freed Beth's hand from where it had been enveloped in her own. An indulgent smile curved her mouth as she asked, "Would you care for a drink before we dine, Miss Turner?" Almost as if on cue, the man who had opened the door for her earlier, suddenly appeared out of nowhere and strode quickly to Elena's side, seemingly waiting for her next order.

"Please, call me Beth," she responded first. The formality of being called Miss Turner constantly rattling her nerves somewhat.

"If I may ask, what is your proper name?" Elena then added, "Your given name."

Beth nodded in understanding before answering. "Bethany…..Bethany Marie."

"If you would indulge me further, I would prefer to call you by your given name. I am afraid that I am quite traditional when it comes to these matters."

"Of course, if you would prefer," Beth answered still stymied as to what to make of this woman. Proper etiquette aside, she was baffled by the old world charm seemingly oozing from this woman's entire manner and being.

A genuinely warm smile transformed Elena's face before she spoke once more. "I thank you for that privilege, Bethany. And if you would honor me in return and call me Elena, I would be most grateful."

Beth couldn't help but smile in response, suddenly feeling as if she were caught up in some bizarre play. Did people actually still act like this, she wondered to herself. "It would be my pleasure, Elena," she heard herself answering, still caught up in the whirling vortex of feeling like she had just stepped back in time somehow.

Elena clasped her hands together as her smile widened even further. "Magnificent," she informed Beth, her eyes briefly but openly sweeping Beth's face. Her eyes softened for a moment as she reached out and skimmed her fingertips across Beth's cheek before taking a strand of her soft blond hair in her hand and letting it slide through her fingers.

Beth felt frozen to the spot and she watched and felt Elena's perusal of her. The funny thing was, she didn't feel at all put-off by this woman's interest and close scrutiny. It felt odd to have a woman she had just met touch her like that, but for whatever reason, she didn't feel threatened. She watched as Elena's hand finally dropped and whatever look had permeated her eyes just seconds before now was quickly replaced by something else. Something that Beth couldn't have described even if she tried.

Elena seemed to snap out of whatever trance she had been in and quickly recovered. The warm smile returned and she once again spoke, "I believe that I offered you a drink, yes? I have a superlative bottle of red wine that I would love for you to try, Bethany. It is a 1942 Chateau Cheval Blanc Grand Cru from the……"

"……Bordeaux region of France," Beth finished for her.

Elena's surprise and delight was immediately apparent on her face. "You are familiar with wine then."

Beth chuckled softly. "I took a year's course in college as part of the humanities requirement for my major. I can't say that it's been put to much use lately, but I do remember the 1942 Chateau Cheval Blanc. It's an exceptional bottle of wine, if I recall correctly. Quite rare, in fact."

Elena smiled her approval. "You are certainly a treasure, Bethany Marie Turner. Undeniably beautiful, certainly inquisitive and, it would seem, much more than meets the eye." She then barely turned her head at the waiting man, who quickly hastened to the drinks cabinet.

Elena then gestured to the seating area a short walk across the room. "Please, let us make ourselves comfortable while we await the arrival of our other guests."

Beth immediately frowned. "Other guests?" she asked, for some reason disturbed by the idea that she may have gotten herself into a situation she was not prepared for.

Elena nodded as she took the drink now handed to her by her servant. "My apologies for not informing you sooner. But please, do not fret over this. I assure you the company will be pleasurable."

Beth also accepted the proffered glass of wine. Unable to focus on the drink in her hand just yet, she felt the need to ask, "Who exactly will your other guests be, if you don't mind me asking?"

Elena smiled indulgently and paused for a brief moment before responding. "I believe you know the two gentlemen already, Bethany. We will be joined by Mr. Josef Konstantin and Mr. Michael St. John."

Beth's eyes widened slightly, and she suddenly wondered how this Elena Korzha, Josef and Mick all fit together.

She also had the sudden feeling of being manipulated. The thought left her with a rather overwhelming feeling of unease.

To be continued……………………..

--


	8. Chapter 8

**With this Blood……….Part 8**

Beth stood her ground as she watched Elena begin to move toward one of the lavishly upholstered sofas. Just short of sitting down, Elena suddenly stopped and closed her eyes for but a brief moment. A secretive smile crossed her face as she once again turned toward Beth.

"It would seem that our other dinner guest are arriving just now," Elena informed her young visitor. And again, as if on cue, and with no discernable signal from his mistress, the mysterious man appeared yet again and quickly approached the front door, arriving there just seconds after the first knock sounded.

Beth turned a puzzled look at her host and couldn't for the life of her figure out how she had known that someone was at the door. Her examination of the situation was cut short when she heard Josef and Mick enter the premises. She smiled warmly at Josef and then turned her attention to Mick, who looked, for all intents and purposes, like he'd just received the shock of his life. No, Beth corrected herself, his face didn't register purely shock, for she could have sworn that he also looked extremely panicked. She knew that he wouldn't have expected to see her here, but she didn't think the moment warranted alarm. Surprise? Certainly. But fear?

Quicker than she's ever seen him move, Mick was instantly at her side, his hand on the small of her back. He dipped his head so that he could speak directly into her ear, "Are you alright?" he asked with more than a mere hint of desperation in his voice.

Giving the others in the room a quick but faltering smile, she whispered back, "Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I can assure you, Michael, that Bethany has been most enjoyable company while we awaited your arrival. Your apprehension is unfounded," Elena stated succinctly and almost coldly, no doubt having heard their hushed conversation.

Mick looked up quickly and Beth could see the fear in his eyes escalate tenfold before he quickly tamped it down. She saw him swallow hard before replying, "My apologies. I had no idea that she would be here. It caught me off guard. That's all." He tried his best to muster a smile and fell just short in the attempt.

Beth turned her attention back to their hostess, who seemed to ponder the moment for a second further before the same warm smile returned to her face. "Of course. I should apologize to you. I failed to inform Josef of the exact nature of this evening. And having done so, I omitted mentioning Bethany's presence from the evening's festivities." Her look was meant to be reassuring, but Beth got the impression that what she had just said was meant for show only. Quickly looking between the occupants of the room, she could feel that the tension level was actually quite high, and she briefly wondered at the cause. Mick's unease put her immediately on alert. She just wished that she knew the exact reason for his defenses being up. Mick had mentioned earlier that the dinner he was going to was with an acquaintance of Josef's. She had assumed it was with someone that Josef worked with, but maybe……

"Please, dear friends……..please be seated," Elena implored, breaking Beth from her reverie.

The four took their seats. Beth on one end of the sofa, Elena at the other end and Mick and Josef in comfortable but elaborately tufted chairs at opposite sides. Beth once again glanced at Mick and noted that he was looking anything but relaxed. His body was almost rigid, his posture reminding her of an animal set to pounce at the slightest provocation. She quirked an eyebrow at him when he shifted his attention away from Elena and toward her. What disturbed her more than his overall manner was the look she saw in his eyes. But to be more precise, the absence of any look in his eyes. Whatever he was thinking was thoroughly walled off from the prying eye. All of his defenses were up and her fear ratcheted up yet another notch.

"Gentlemen, perhaps you would enjoy an aperitif before dining?" their gracious hostess asked. "Pernod, might be to your liking."

Both men refused her offer, so Elena settled more comfortably into the seat and turned her attention once more to Beth.

"It is unfortunate, Bethany, that our other guests have no appreciation for the wine that you and I are enjoying. I would have offered this as well, but, as you know, most vampires have little understanding of the subtleties of fine wine." Elena's eyes bore into Beth's soul as she watched for her reaction.

Beth, for her part, tried the very best she could to keep the obvious shock out of her eyes. _Of course_, she thought, it all made sense now. The old-world charm……the over-the-top manners……the ever proper way of speaking. Elena was a vampire, and if Beth was any type of reporter at all, she knew that she had to be very, very old. Now she understood Mick's anxiety. What she didn't understand, however, was why she had been invited to this gathering.

Elena smiled at her for a heartbeat or two longer, obviously still appraising and gauging her reaction. Her eyes narrowed a bit before she said, "Perhaps we should leave further discussion of this for our repast. I know that you have many questions you would like to ask, my dear. And I assure you, I will answer each and every one. That is, after all, one of the reasons for your visit, is it not? To acquire information?"

Beth took a second to try to calm her rapidly beating heart. She forced a quavering smile to her lips before responding. "Of course. I just had different expectations for the information I was to receive."

"Ah yes, the financial matter," Elena surmised. Placing a well manicured finger to her lips, she appeared deep in thought for a moment before glancing up at her young guest. "I would not want you to go away empty handed, as they say." Just as Elena extended a hand toward one of the side doors, that door opened and another staff member entered carrying a rather large manila envelope. He quickly placed it in his employer's hand before retreating just as quickly as he had come. The coming and goings were not only perplexing as far as Beth was concerned, but they were also disturbing. How they knew exactly the right time to enter was beyond her. The effect was notably very disquieting. Something she was sure Elena prided herself in.

Elena then handed the envelope to Beth. "I believe everything that you will need to refute the bank executive's claims is in that package. I only ask that you wait to review its contents for a later time."

"Yes….of course," Beth nearly stammered. If the sheer weight of the packet was any indication and if the information contained within was indeed accurate and verifiable, she had no doubt whatsoever that Elena's assertions would prove true.

Dismissing the matter with a wave of her hand, she then turned her attention to the two men who had until this point remained stoically silent. "Perhaps the two of you fine young men will aid me in my mission to educate our dear Bethany this evening."

"Educate?" Beth heard Mick ask quickly. She turned toward him and saw concern for her safety once again etched upon his handsome features. She wouldn't have thought it possible, but he looked even more tightly coiled than he had but minutes earlier.

Elena smiled indulgently, her eyes alight with a certain shine of amusement. "Yes, Michael. Educate. It has come to my attention that Miss Turner has been made privy to our secret. It is my goal and my duty, therefore, to make sure that she understands fully what we are and what her future may be within our community."

Out of the corner of her eye, Beth saw Mick slowly stand. His hands were in fists at his sides and his whole being screamed readiness for whatever came next. "I won't let you or anyone else turn her, or harm her in any way," he stated, his words dripping with both contempt and venom.

Turning her attention quickly back toward Elena, she was disturbed to find Josef rising to his feet as well, his posture and demeanor just as threatening as Mick's. The problem was that Josef's attention was wholly and directly on Mick. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn the two were immortal enemies instead of best friends. Her interest switched back and forth between the two as she felt the tension build and build, almost coming to the point of being unbearable. She saw Mick's eyes fade to the icy white that she had begun to know so well, only this time she saw no barely controlled passion in their depths. She saw only hatred and menace. His lips pulled back in a snarling visage as his fangs extended fully. She quickly glanced at Josef and saw that he too was ready to wage war. Beth's heart beat wildly in her chest as she witnessed the display before her. Surely there had to be some way to stop this. Did she even dare put herself between two vampires who were preparing to do battle? Her mind raced as she considered the possibilities and quickly rejected each one outright.

For one fleeting moment, Beth could have sworn her heart stopped beating. The blood in her veins ran icy cold as a thought suddenly crossed her terrified mind.

Would Mick be able to win this battle against two older and more experienced vampires? Her heart actually hurt to think that he would not survive it and that there was a very real possibility that he would die at the hands of someone he called friend. And without him to protect her, what would her fate be?

To be continued……………


	9. Chapter 9

**With this Blood…………Part 9**

Beth was now in full-blown panic mode. She watched helplessly as Mick, fingernails now fully extended and fangs visible as he snarled menacingly, lowered his stance as he prepared to attack. Josef seemed to match him, movement for movement. Her eyes flicked back and forth between the two and she couldn't believe that things had escalated to this level. How could these two not remember their long-standing friendship? Did that mean nothing to either one of them? Or was there a more powerful force at work here? Whatever the answers, she couldn't just sit idly by and watch one or either of them be killed because of her.

Beth made to stand, but was quickly halted when Elena's hand suddenly shot out and almost painfully gripped her forearm. She glanced quickly to her left and was surprised to see the look on Elena's face. Her full attention was on Josef and the expression was one of absolute adoration. She was actually enjoying this! Beth stared incredulously at her host. Had she maneuvered these two men into doing battle? Is this how vampires amused themselves? Were games of life and death the only forms of entertainment they had left? Except for her brief encounter with Josef and Ryder that one day at Josef's office, she'd had no other open contact with any other vampires. She refused to believe that this was an everyday occurrence for them.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her throat when Josef almost blindingly fast made the first move. Quicker than she could blink, he tackled Mick and the two violently scuffled on the floor next to her. The sounds emanating from both terrified her, as did the vicious slashes that both landed on the other. She pulled away, plastering herself against the back of the sofa as she tried desperately to keep out of the way of flying claws and fists. A barely contained squeak escaped her mouth as she saw Mick quickly execute a maneuver that ended with Josef flying some 10 feet across the floor. Mick was then on his feet and after Josef faster than it took her heart to beat even once. Now in the superior position, she saw Mick fully bare his fangs and prepare to ferociously bite his long time friend.

"Elena….please….you have to stop this!!" she heard herself yell, never taking her eyes off the two locked in immortal combat.

Just as Mick's fangs were poised to tear into Josef's neck, both halted as if someone had frozen them in time. The room was deathly silent save for the sound of Beth's labored breathing.

Beth turned toward Elena as she heard the woman slowly rise from the seat next to her. She was still elegantly composed, obviously not affected by the spectacle at all. She crossed in front of Beth and stopped next to the two still unmoving figures.

"Gentlemen……I think we have had more than enough of this. You have upset our guest of honor and I will not allow that," she told them calmly. With a brief gesture of her hand, both Mick and Josef once more became animated. Pulling away from each other, both seemed hesitant as to what to do next. From where she sat, Beth could not see Mick's face, but she could clearly see Josef's. The only word for what she saw was……confusion. At that point, she knew that Mick's face would surely reflect the same. Whatever blood lust had controlled them just seconds ago was most obviously gone. Whether that was Elena's doing or not, Beth had no idea. Or perhaps, she had initiated the incident to begin with. Whichever was true really wasn't the point. What bothered Beth more than anything was how easily she could manipulate anyone around her, both mentally and physically, a thought that concerned and worried her greatly. Perhaps Mick's fear had been well-founded after all.

Speaking of Mick, he quickly turned his attention back toward her and hurried to her side. He knelt in front of her his hand gently cupping her cheek. "Are you alright?" he asked her quietly, his voice full of concern, his eyes scanning her quickly.

A nervous laugh escaped her mouth as she placed her hand over his. "Am _I_ alright?" she countered in disbelief. "The real question is, are _you_ alright?" Her free hand drifted across some of his torn pieces of clothing, her own eyes searching for any lingering wounds.

He gave her a fleeting smile before placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "I'm fine." He looked into her eyes for a second longer before standing once more and turning to face Elena and Josef.

"I think it's about time someone explained what this evening is all about," Mick demanded calmly, his tone leaving no room for discussion. "My apologies for being forward, Elena. But it would seem that we were all brought here for a purpose. I'd like to know what that purpose is."

Beth stole a look at Josef who was now standing slightly behind Elena. His eyes registered panic for a but a brief second before he regained his composure. The look startled her more than she cared to admit. She rose to her own feet then and positioned herself at Mick's side, her hand finding his and holding on to it for dear life.

Beth watched Elena as her eyes coldly stared into Mick's. The moment seemed to hang as not a movement was made, no sound permeated the silence. And then, slowly, a smile crept onto Elena's face, and to Beth's utter disbelief, she actually appeared to be pleased.

"Perhaps you are correct, Michael. Perhaps we should, as they say, lay all cards on the table. Is that truly what you want?"

Beth could feel Mick's hand more tightly grip her own before he answered. "I think it would be what's best." Before he allowed Elena a moment to respond, he quickly added, "But whatever the reason, I'm telling you now that I won't allow anything to happen to Beth."

Elena laughed thoughtfully as she replied, "That much, Michael, is most plainly obvious. But please…..my friends…..let us retire to the dining room. I have had quite a feast prepared in Bethany's honor. Let us put all of this unpleasantness behind us as we dine, and I promise that I will answer any and all questions that you put to me." With that, she took Josef's proffered arm and made her way toward one of the open doorways in the suite.

Beth watched as the couple walked away and glanced up at Mick who looked as puzzled as she did. "Mick?"

Shaking his head, he looked back at her and tried his best to give her a reassuring smile. "I don't know. Let's just……let's just see where this leads."

It was Beth's turn to look amused but still disturbed. "You mean maybe back to the point where you and Josef are ready to rip each other's throats out?" she rather harshly whispered, her eyes blazing disbelief. "Did you even know what you were doing?"

Eyebrows furrowed, Mick's eyes glazed over for a second before responding. "Sort of…..it felt like being in some sort of bad dream."

"So you don't think that's reason enough for us to _get the hell out of here??_" she asked, her voice now straining, as her eyes bore into his.

Pulling her slightly away from the open doorway, Mick whispered back, his voice urgent but full of concern. "You really have no idea who we're dealing with here. Elena is one **very** powerful vampire. If we leave, believe me…..there will be consequences. So as much as I would love to get you out of here, the best thing right now is to play along. Do you understand me?" His firm grip on her arm drove the point home as did the stern look in his eyes.

She closed her eyes for a second as she took a deep breath, held it and then released it. Opening her eyes once more she looked at Mick and said, "Fine…….but I don't like it."

Mick glanced briefly over his shoulder at the dining room before turning back and whispering, "Well……for the record…….I don't either." Taking her hand once more in his, he escorted her to the other room.

Beth braced herself for whatever came next, but was still taken aback by what she saw as they entered the room. She had expected a dining area just as lavishly and ornately decorated as the living room. What they were met with, however, was an intimate space. Yes, it was just as elegantly decorated, but the table was big enough for only 4. Even the opulence had been scaled back to meet the requirements of the smaller area. And what caught her attention next was the meal now laid out on the simply but stylishly decorated table. It not only had a vast variety of items on display, but it easily could have fed some ten people. She glanced quickly at Elena in puzzlement.

"I did not know what foods you would be fond of, Bethany, so I asked the chef to present us with his best. It is a shame that our other guests will be unable to partake, is it not?" she asked, an amused look on her face.

"_You_ can eat…..food?" Beth heard herself ask without thinking.

Elena's laugh echoed through the room, as she seemed genuinely delighted with the remark. Waving her hand at the chair to her right, indicating where she preferred that Beth sit, Elena answered. "Yes….I can eat…..food. It is, after all, one of the advantages of living as long as I have."

"I'm sorry…….I don't understand. I thought that vampires couldn't eat food."

Elena nodded knowingly. "Any vampire can eat food. But many do not because it has lost its taste, its appeal. Nutritionally, we need only blood to survive. And once turned, the desire for anything else is lost. All of our senses are heightened to incredible levels. Taste is included in that, and is therefore irrevocably altered. When a vampire tastes food, the flavor is magnified. Each component is sensed and evaluated. It would be the scientific equivalent of breaking own molecules. Once looking at individual pieces, you lose the appreciation for the article as a whole. Do you understand?"

Beth was so caught up in the explanation that she almost missed the question. "Yes….yes…..that make sense," she stammered out. She thought for a second before adding, "But you said that you could or would eat food. That it was one of the perks of living longer."

Once again Elena smiled indulgently. "Yes. Perhaps I should also explain what happens to a vampire as we grow older. The change continues as we journey through time. While some powers and abilities increase, other sensitivities slowly fade. For example, I have learned to control my natural ability to uniquely discern tastes. I can now more fully recognize the overall presentation to the palate." Glancing at Mick and Josef, she went on to say, "I am afraid that these two have quite a longer journey ahead before arriving where I am today."

Beth thought about what Elena had just said, and once again, before mulling over her words, she brazenly asked, "How old are you….exactly?"

If she thought she had sounded pleased before, Beth now realized that had been nothing compared to the peals of laughter that now bubbled forth from their host. Glancing briefly at both Josef and Mick, she was more than a bit confused when one looked astonished and the other slightly scared. Turning back to Elena, she tried to smile herself, hoping that she truly was amused and not secretly plotting her demise for so openly asking what many would consider an impolite question.

The moment seemed to stand still as Elena slowly regained her composure. She smiled at Beth warmly and it was hard to interpret exactly what that look meant. But they didn't have long to wait before Elena finally responded. "There are very few alive who know the answer to that question, Bethany. But I find that I like you….very much, in fact. And I have decided that I will answer this for you. After all, I did promise to answer any and all questions, did I not?" Pausing for just a second more, she added. "Even Josef does not know the answer to this. Although I am sure he has guessed after all that he knows about me."

Steepling her fingers in front of her, now leaning slightly forward on the table, Elena looked directly at Beth and said, "This coming February, I will be 1,563 years old."

Beth could do nothing but look shocked. She was sure that her eyes were as huge as saucers as she stared back at Elena's ageless eyes. "One thousand……."

"…..five hundred and sixty three," Elena finished for her, obviously delighted by her reaction.

"Wow……" was the only other thing that Beth could say, her mind reeling from exactly what that number meant. What had Elena seen throughout her lifetime? What tragedies had those eyes witnessed? How many had she loved and lost? How many wars? How many miracles? Her mind staggered trying to take it all in.

"That's…….amazing," was the best she could say at the moment, knowing that it so inadequately described how she was reacting to what she'd been told.

"There is one more thing you should know about me, Bethany. I have but one purpose in my preternaturally long life, and that is to insure the survival of my kind." The words were delivered calmly but with an air of authority and seriousness, and she now had Beth's undivided attention.

"And before I leave, Los Angeles, Bethany, I will know how your knowledge of us will impact that continued existence. One way or another, we will reach an accord."

Looking deeply into Elena's eyes, Beth knew that she had reached a crossroad. Whatever happened in the next few hours or days would change her life immeasurably. Of that….she was deadly sure.

To be continued……..

--


	10. Chapter 10

**With this Blood……..Part 10**

Elena continued to stare intently at Beth, obviously observing and judging her reaction to what she had been told. And she continued to do so, even as she addressed the man sitting to her left.

"Josef……perhaps you and Michael would not mind taking your drinks outside while I have a private word with Bethany." She saw Mick begin to react and quickly continued. "I give you my word, Michael, no harm will come to Bethany while she is in my presence. I have never killed randomly or with malice. I have never turned anyone who had not expressed a desire first to have this done to them." She watched as Mick took in what she had said, and saw that he did not quite believe her. She looked down at her still empty plate for a second or two more before looking once more at the man who sat across from her.

"You and I have something in common, Michael, as I too was turned against my will. There were many, many years when I hated the very thing that I had become, and despised the one who had done this to me. I understand fully what you are feeling even now, some 50 years later. And even though I have not only come to accept my immortal existence, but have come to embrace it wholly, it does not mean that I have ever forgotten what it was like to have this life thrust upon me so cruelly and without my consent. So, I assure you, no harm, of any kind, will befall her."

Mick contemplated what Elena had just said and for whatever reason, felt that he could indeed trust her with Beth's well-being. He glanced at Beth and saw that she wasn't at all afraid and that made his undead heart rest a little easier. He reached out and placed a hand on her arm, silently asking her if it was indeed alright for him to leave her alone with Elena and was rewarded with a calm reassuring smile. He gazed into her eyes for a second more before returning his attention to the evening's hostess and nodding his head in approval. Both he and Josef then rose from their seats, grabbed their crystal goblets filled with blood and headed toward the terrace entrance directly behind Elena.

Once outside, Mick walked toward the marble balustrade and leaned heavily against it, his back toward the doorway. He looked at the glass in his hand and downed its contents in short order. Placing the now empty goblet on the railing, he sighed heavily before speaking, "Josef….."

"I know," came the quiet reply from the man now leaning on the rail next to him.

"We could have…."

"We didn't."

"I _wanted_ to kill……"

"I know."

"I don't think you understand……"

"Believe me, I do."

Mick had yet to look at his long-time friend and only now tilted his head to glimpse at him. Josef looked calm, almost peaceful. His gaze was focused on the doorway opposite, and Mick knew exactly what or who he was looking at.

"How do live like this?" Mick asked quietly.

Josef smiled sadly and looked at Mick. "It's just her way." He must have caught Mick's incredulous look for he quickly added, "I hate to say it, but you do actually get used to it."

Mick let out a scoffing laugh, his eyes closed, his head downcast. "You get used to it," he reiterated quietly. "That has got to be the most pathetic thing I've ever heard in my life."

It was now Josef's turn to laugh, and to Mick's surprise, the laugh was full of genuine amusement. Not for the first time in the 50 some years that he'd known Josef, did Mick wonder what kind of enigma lay under that expensively tailored, although now slightly torn and soiled, wardrobe. Just when he would get the feeling that he understood everything there was to know about Josef Konstantin, something would happen, another chapter would be revealed, another mystery unveiled. He'd heard the tales of Elena Korzha for many years, but he knew now that he'd only been treated to the barest of highlights.

"So what was it like?" Mick asked, indeed curious to know more about their now mutual tormentor.

"You mean at the beginning?" Josef asked.

"Yeah. How did you even meet her?"

"Ah. That. Let's see if I can give you the crib note special," he responded, his voice carrying a hint of humor with it. "Unless you'd rather hear the 1500 page "War and Peace" edition, of course."

Mick chuckled, and turned around, putting the two occupants of the room beyond within in clear view. "I think the highlights will be enough. Thank you though."

There was a pause before Josef quietly stated, "She's going to be alright, Mick."

Mick glanced quickly at his friend and gave him a surprised look. He hadn't thought he'd been that obvious, but he knew he should have known better. Josef always could see right through him. "I know….it's just……"

"…..that you love her?"

Mick thought about denying the statement, but knew that would be like refuting the statement that the sun would rise in the morning. He looked through the glass doorway and saw Beth and Elena talking intently, and he took a few seconds to appreciate the vision before him. It still amazed him how strong and how quickly his feelings for Beth had grown over the past few months that he'd really gotten to know her. Until that moment when he'd actually spoken to her at the fountain outside the Design Center, his life and hers had pretty much paralleled the moment he found himself in at this second -- standing on the outside looking in. Yes, he had watched her reports, sometimes repeatedly, on BuzzWire, but he'd been content to do nothing more than watch over her, to insure that her life remained safe and unimpeded in any way. He felt he'd owed her at least that, since he had been the reason she had been terrorized so many years ago. What he had never expected, never planned on, was how quickly she had captured his heart and invaded his soul.

"Yeah…..I love her," Mick finally admitted, his voice tinged with regret.

"You do realize….."

"_Yes_, Josef," Mick said hurriedly and with a slight hint of annoyance.

"I'm just saying that….."

"I know…..believe me. I know." He looked at his long time friend and saw nothing but sympathy in his eyes. He knew that Josef had his own ghosts haunting him on a regular basis, his own demons that would never leave him in peace. "It's not like I planned this," he told him truthfully. "This isn't what I……..I never wanted this for her."

A film of tears filled his eyes as he looked back at the woman now speaking animatedly inside. He spoke the truth. He would gladly leave her and never look back if it meant she would be happy and have the opportunity to live a normal mortal life. But his connection to her and what had happened between the two of them just the night before had changed all of that. There was no going back. There was no other option open to them. He knew it was only a matter of time before she asked him to turn her, and he knew that he would reluctantly agree. After all, he could deny her nothing. And as much as having her by his side for eternity would thrill him beyond belief, he knew that she would be the one to pay the ultimate price. He would end up condemning her, just as Coraline had condemned him. The one thing he swore to himself he would never do, and he would end up doing it to the one he loved the most. He should have been stronger, he'd told himself repeatedly. He'd known how she felt about him and he'd given in in a moment of weakness. And now Beth would pay the incredibly heavy price for that failing.

"Have you ever considered that this is what she wants?"

Mick looked at Josef in complete disbelief. "How could she?"

Josef merely smiled indulgently. "I know that it's hard to believe, but it really does make a difference when it's something that you want, something you ask for."

"You mean like you did."

"Yeah……like I did." Josef was silent for a moment longer, apparently gathering his thoughts. "I first met Elena when I was 17. I was a builder's apprentice in Ragusa…….that's modern day Dubrovnik in Croatia."

"A builder's assistant?" Mick interrupted with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Josef laughed. "I know…..I know…..why do you think I let the little people do the hard labor these days?" Not feeling a bit guilty for the sentiment, he continued, "As I was saying, I worked as a builder's assistant for a man who had been contracted to build a small chapel on the grounds belonging to one of the wealthiest men in town. Elena as it turned out was a friend of the family. Actually more than a friend of the family as it turned out. The owner was a descendent of Elena's daughter."

"Daughter? She had children?" Mick asked, his interest piqued.

"One only. The daughter was only 3 years old when Elena was turned by her own father."

"Her father did this to her?" the thought actually making him feel sick.

"Yeah. So much for fatherly love, huh?" Josef took a breath and continued. "Her mother had died when Elena was still a small child, leaving just the two of them. The father was mad with grief and soon took up with an outcast from the village, a woman who lived alone and away from the other residents. Some called her evil, accusing her of all manner of witchery. But they were also afraid of her and shied away whenever she would make her way into town."

"She was a vampire," Mick stated plainly.

Josef nodded his head and continued. "Because of his association with this woman, Elena's father was shunned as well. And for many years, Elena never saw her father. She was brought up by others in the village and eventually married. A year later she gave birth to her first born and everything seemed perfect. That is until a plague ravaged the village and the surrounding area. Many died and Elena soon fell ill as well. She was on her deathbed. Everyone knew she would never survive and that it was only a matter of time before she finally succumbed. It was during this time, that her long lost father finally came to visit. He forced his way in and locked himself in the room with Elena and allowed no one else entrance. Several hours later, he emerged with her in his arms, claiming that she had finally died in the night. Against her husband's wishes, he took Elena from the house and her family never saw her again."

"That's why she said she hated the one who turned her."

"Oh, it gets better," Josef informed him. "As it turned out, Elena was pregnant with her second child when she fell ill. When her father turned her, the unborn child was turned as well. She was close to 6 months along when the plague hit."

Mick looked at Josef, working out in his mind what he had been told. The horror of it clearly showing on his face. Vampires never aged a day from the moment they were turned. Therefore, the unborn child would never mature and would never be delivered. He closed his eyes trying to block out the image.

"While she was still in the first stages of the turning, that time when everything seems surreal, almost dreamlike, the child was forcibly cut from her body by her father's mistress and burnt to death."

"Jesus….." was all Mick could say, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah……when Elena finally regained some of her senses and realized what had been done to her, she swore she would have her vengeance, and eventually she did."

"What happened?" Mick asked, although, to be truthful, he wasn't sure he wanted to know any more of this horror story.

"She had no choice but to stay with her father and his woman for as long as it took to be taught how to survive. She listened, she learned, and she plotted. She even pretended to accept his explanation for turning her, that he couldn't allow his only child to die when he could save her. Then, one day, some two years later, she surprised the two as they slept through the day. First staking both, and then locking them away in the house where they lived as she set the place ablaze. She said she could hear their screams as the flames consumed them and yet she felt no remorse. They had taken everything from her, and they paid the price with their lives."

Mick couldn't say anything. He felt almost numb as Josef recounted the story. Flashes of what he had done to Coraline some 20 years prior ran through his mind. The similarities were eerie but also so incredibly different. What he had done had not been planned. He had not gone that night with the idea of killing Coraline in his head. He just knew that he had to find a way to stop her, to somehow break free of her madness. And, of course, the child's safety had been paramount to everything.

Looking back through the glass framed doorway, he stared at Beth and still felt that protective streak bubble up within him. He also felt tremendous guilt rear its ugly head, knowing that what he should have done was stay away from her. The biggest threat to Beth ended up being himself, only he hadn't realized that until too late. Even now, even after identifying the danger, he couldn't find the strength to do the right thing. Hearing yet another vampire horror story, only this one was all too real, only served to cement the feeling that he would indeed be condemning Beth to an eternity of misery if he turned her. He couldn't help but feel how much better her life would be if he simply disappeared.

"Don't even think about it," Josef stated without any malice or threat.

Mick looked at him with puzzlement clearly written on his face, secretly wondering when he had become so easy to read.

"She'd never forgive you, my dear conflicted friend…….and neither would I." Josef looked at Mick for a second longer, letting him see the all too infrequent emotion on display in his eyes, before it was replaced with a somewhat sad smile.

Josef then picked up Mick's discarded glass and said, "How about seconds? I think we both need another hit before I begin Act 2 of our charming tale." Turning, he headed back toward the doorway and went inside.

To be continued……..

--


	11. Chapter 11

**With this Blood………Part 11**

Mick watched through the glass doorway as Josef refilled their glasses and paused for a second to say a few words to the women seated inside. He couldn't hear what was said but saw Beth smile pleasantly at him. Nodding to the two, Josef then returned to the terrace. Mick accepted the offered glass and stared at its contents for a second before glancing back at the feast laid out before the occupants inside.

"Do you ever miss it?"

From the corner of his eye, Mick saw Josef glance at him before turning his head back toward Mick's object of attention. "You mean food?"

"Yeah…….do you ever wish you could remember what it tasted like? Or how amazing your favorite dish thrilled you when you got that first bite in your mouth?"

So wrapped up in the memory for a second, Mick failed to register that Josef had paused an inordinately long time. Looking back at his friend, he was surprised to find a sad, pitying look on his face.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" was the simple question that came from Josef's mouth. There was none of the usual hint of sarcasm present. The question was asked sincerely and without any pretense. "Why do you drive yourself crazy trying to remember what you should try to forget?"

"Because….." Mick started and then stopped. He was frustrated by the questions, knowing that Josef was right. Closing his eyes, he sighed heavily.

"Because you still….after all these years…..you still want to be human again," Josef answered for him.

Mick opened his mouth to argue the point, but closed it when he knew that Josef was right. He did want to be human again. Desperately, in fact. The memories were fading year by year and the murkier they got, the harder he tried to grasp and hold on to what was left. Now, having Beth in his life, he found that wanting, that craving, amplified a hundredfold. Not only had she stirred his undead heart back to life, but she was a constant reminder of what he'd lost. The joy and the sorrow seemed to go hand in hand, and he wasn't sure what to do with that feeling.

"Mick……look at me," Josef softly commanded.

Mick turned his head and looked into the concerned eyes of the closest thing he had to family.

"I said this before, and I'll say it again. Someday, you're going to have to stop hating what you are. Unless you find some way to destroy yourself, you will remain a vampire. There's no going back. This is not some dream that you'll wake up from tomorrow or the next day. You may not have asked for it, but it's now your lot in this undead life." The words were spoken with the utmost of sincerity and gravity.

And Mick knew that Josef was right. He'd begrudgingly accepted what he'd become, but somewhere, in the back of his mind, yes, he did secretly hope that there was a way back. That he would find some hidden secret, some magic elixir, something to give him back what he'd lost. He'd heard that the last stage of grievance is acceptance. It had been 55 years since Coraline had destroyed his humanity, and he had yet to reach that final stage. Even now. _Especially now_. He looked through the doorway and intently stared at the blonde seated within. He loved her more than even he cared to admit. He knew where their relationship was headed. The wheels had been set in motion and it was only a matter of time.

Mick closed his eyes tightly and tried to will away the feeling that by making love to Beth last night, he had unwittingly sentenced her to a journey without a destination. One moment of utter and complete joy had brought about the beginning of the end. That end, of course, being the end of Beth's mortal existence. He knew she was curious about vampire life. Maybe too curious, and that scared him more than anything. He recalled then the words that Josef had spoken just moments ago.

"So how was it for you? You said this is what you'd wanted." Mick looked at his friend expectantly. Maybe hoping that he himself could be convinced that it wasn't the hell that he'd envisioned for Beth.

Josef smiled and nodded. "Yeah….this is exactly what I wanted." Pausing for a second to collect his thoughts, he then continued. "Let's see where was I? Ah yes, Croatia…..17 years old….slaving away for table scraps and a place to sleep. Charming, huh?" he asked, more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice and a smile on his lips. "Workers didn't fraternize with the aristocracy in those days. In fact, we weren't supposed to be seen, and you certainly weren't ever to talk to them. But Elena was different. She purposefully made a point to wander the grounds. She'd watch us work, and even made the occasional comment. Telling us how much she liked what we were doing or how we could improve this or that. And the more I saw of her, the more captivated I became. She was stunning. Flawless. Her smile was so brilliant. She was easily the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."

Josef paused to drink from his glass, his eyes now unfocused and almost dreamy as he recalled the past. "Life was…..difficult….back in those days. If you weren't born with money, you were born in squalor and few ever made it out. So when she began to make a point to talk to me personally, I saw an opportunity, a possible escape. If I could ingratiate myself with her, it might lead to something other than working like a dog for the rest of my miserable life."

"Ah…..ambitious even at 17," Mick joked lightly, giving Josef a sly smile.

Josef returned the gesture. "You know me too well, my friend." A small laugh escaped him before continuing. "So….over the following years, her visits became more frequent, and our conversations became longer and much more interesting. She would tell me about her travels and about all of the exotic places and people that she had come across in her life and I was enraptured. The more I heard, the more I wanted that life. Then one summer day not long after my 20th birthday, she found me in town and told me that she would be leaving soon and not coming back for some time. I was devastated. I hadn't realized until that moment how much her visits and how much she had come to mean to me. She saw how dejected I looked and asked me if I would consider leaving with her." Josef laughed, an almost shy smile graced his still youthful face. "I had almost nothing left to tie me to that place. Most of my family had died from various illnesses. So this truly was my chance for something better…..something more. I hesitated for only a second or two before accepting, and we left the next morning. The following 3 or so years were incredible. I saw so much of a world I hadn't even imagined existed. We stayed at only the best places. We were treated to only the best food and drink. And each day, I fell more in love with her. She doted on me. Anything I wanted was mine. I wore only the finest clothes and she continually showered me with presents. The world, as they say, was laid out at my feet, and I loved every second of it."

Josef stopped for a second and walked a slight distance away. Turning his attention out across the city, he seemed lost in thought for a few moments. Mick watched him, and wondered about the almost melancholy smile that curved his lips. He continued then, his eyes still scanning the now twinkling downtown lights.

"Slowly….over time, I began to piece things together. How different she seemed to be from anyone else I'd ever known. And I realized it had nothing whatsoever to do with the money she had or the lifestyle she led. It was the quirky things that at first I just chalked up to being eccentric. Like how she almost always walked in the shade, or how she rarely ever ate in front of me, always giving some excuse of having already eaten, or how she preferred the nighttime to the day. Then…….I began to ask questions. At first, she'd laugh off the inquiries, but slowly, over time, she began to answer. And as each puzzle piece fell into place, I finally made the connection."

Josef turned then to look at Mick, a slight smile on his face as he shook his head in amusement. "I should have been terrified, but I wasn't. I realized that she'd been desensitizing me to it all along. You'll find out for yourself that Elena rarely does anything without a purpose. Her mind works twenty steps ahead of ours. It's almost like she already knows what will happen far in advance of actual events. And you know what? Maybe she does know." He paused yet again, almost as if he was recalling past events and weighing them by what he'd just said. "Anyway, over the next couple of years, she told me everything. She treated me to not only the facts of what vampire life was like, but also tales of how vampires supposedly came into existence. She told me the story of Lilith and Cain, the first wife of Adam and the son of Adam and Eve each of whom had been banished from Eden, and how their children were supposedly cursed as demons and vampires. Or how the fountain of youth was an actual source of vampirism. That we are given eternal life but must pay the price of that perpetual youth by having to drink the blood of others. Or even more interestingly still, how vampirism is linked to Judas Iscariot, that he had been cursed by God to never be able to die and therefore never be able to enter the kingdom of Heaven, and how our sensitivity to silver stems from the silver pieces given to him as payment for his betrayal of Jesus."

Mick had heard some of the stories but was still fascinated by the folklore. "So what do you think the truth is?"

"About our creation?" Josef asked. Taking a deep breath, he looked thoughtful for a few seconds before responding. "I have no idea, and I'm not sure any vampire alive actually knows either, or I would have to think there would be a definitive version written down or passed along somewhere. And if it is written down somewhere, I haven't seen it, and as far as I know, Elena hasn't either. But then again….." he trailed off, thinking about how mysterious his sire liked to be at times.

"So when did she turn you?" Mick asked, changing the subject back.

"We had been living in Greece for some time, and I had been after her to change me for months. She told me that she would know when the proper time came, and that I should be patient. Well….you know me…..I'm not much on patience, so I continued….ceaselessly. Until one day, shortly after my 26th birthday, she asked me if I was ready. I…..I was almost speechless. I'd been asking for so long, that it almost seemed unreal when the time finally came. I think I hesitated for a minute or so, before answering….yes." Mick watched Josef closely and knew that he was recalling the moment. He saw such a play of emotions flow past his eyes, before he continued. "She had prepared me as best she could. Telling me exactly how I would feel, but it still couldn't compare to actually going through it. The next week or so passed in a blur. All I can remember clearly is being continually hungry and the awkwardness of feeding the first few times. And how with each drop of blood I took in, the more powerful I felt. She brought me an endless supply of individuals to drink form and I didn't even think twice about killing any of them. All I knew, all I felt, was how amazing I felt afterwards, how invincible."

Josef hung his head then, seemingly lost in thought. "It wasn't until much later when I actually did feel some sort of remorse over what I'd done. Not much, mind you, but some. I know…..I know I kid a lot about how human's are expendable, but….."

"I know," Mick interjected, and he truly did understand. Becoming a vampire was both an exhilarating and frightening thing. The high of knowing that you were now top of the food chain and that no one could touch you was almost overwhelming. Knowing that you could do almost anything to anyone and most likely get away with it was overpowering. But eventually…….eventually, he knew, you started looking at the faces of the people you drained. You saw them as something more than just a source of sustenance and the guilt came flooding back to the point of almost drowning in it. After a time, most vamps found some in between ground, a way to balance the needs against the damage caused.

"How long did you stay with her?" Mick asked, disturbing both of their soul searching moments.

"I stayed with her for most of the first hundred years."

Mick's face registered surprise. Given the turbulent nature of Josef and Elena's relationship, he hadn't expected that amount of time.

Josef saw the look and smiled. "I told you….when it was good, it was very good," was all the explanation he gave.

Mick sensed that the story had come to an end and returned his attention to Beth and Elena, both still engaged in conversation within.

"So what does she want with Beth?" he finally asked, almost dreading the answer. He'd been curious all evening, but had truthfully been afraid to ask.

Josef took a deep breath and paused before answering. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I was almost as surprised as you were to see her here this evening. Maybe…..maybe she just found out that Beth knew about us and wanted to find out what kind of threat she might be." Josef scrutinized the women for a second, his eyes narrowing as he thought. "Of course…..you may have helped neutralize that situation already."

Mick turned his head sharply and looked at his friend, his brow furrowed as he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

At first he didn't think Josef was going to answer, but then he heard him ask, "So when did you sleep with her exactly?"

Mick stared at him for a second before asking, " How did you……"

"How did I know?" Josef finished for him. "How could I not. Hell, even the blind would have been able to tell. Your possessive attitude, the gentle touches, the kiss and….the unmistakable smell of fresh blood in the air. I didn't see any bite marks visible so I'm assuming you tried someplace a little more discreet. Maybe on her……"

"Okay, okay……I get it!" Mick implored. He shook his head and knew he shouldn't have been at all surprised to find out that Josef knew. He huffed a bit, still shaking his head, not at all comfortable with the subject at hand, or at least in sharing details with anyone. "Last night….it happened last night," he finally told him, his voice quiet.

"Ah……" was Josef's only response.

The two remained silent for some minutes, each quietly sipping what was left of their meals. And continually, Mick's attention was drawn back to the room just off the balcony. "So…..what are they talking about anyway?" His interest more than piqued. He wasn't sure why Elena had asked them to leave in the first place. It had seemed odd to him then and remained so now.

Josef also watched the two women inside and finally answered, "I didn't really catch anything when I went inside earlier. Beth was telling Elena about some story she'd covered about a year ago. Nothing remarkable. But I'm assuming that Elena's telling her all about us….about vampires in general, that is."

Mick thought about that for a second, and something Josef had said earlier came back to him. "You don't mean that she's……that she's….. preparing her…..do you?"

Mick looked over at Josef when no answer was forthcoming. He saw the very serious look on his face and knew he already had his answer. It was one thing to think about maybe….._maybe_ turning Beth at some time in the future. It was another thing entirely to contemplate that that moment would happen sooner rather than later.

Once more, the guilt that was always just a step behind him, threatened to overtake him yet again. And Mick wondered, not for the first time since meeting Beth face-to-face just months ago, if she would have been better off having never met him.

To be continued…….

--


	12. Chapter 12

**With this Blood……Part 12 **

Mick kept glancing at Beth as the two drove home. Her attention was clearly elsewhere as she seemed to stare almost dazedly out the passenger side window.

"Are you sure that you're all right?" he asked her yet again, and once more he was rewarded with a half hearted smile and a quiet, "I'm fine." He didn't buy either the smile or the answer. And as each second ticked by, his concern began to escalate.

After finishing his conversation with Josef on the balcony, the two had rejoined the ladies in the dining room. Pleasant conversation pertaining to nothing important had been exchanged and then the evening had ended with Mick and Beth leaving while Josef stayed behind with Elena. To say that Beth had been distracted on the trip down the elevator would have been an understatement. And because of that, if nothing else, Mick had decided it would be better if they left Beth's car at the hotel and took the Mercedes back to his place.

Arriving at his building, the two exited the vehicle and endured another silent elevator ride. Once inside his apartment, Mick decided that he couldn't stand it any more.

"Tell me," was all he could think of to say.

At first it seemed as if she was ignoring him and then suddenly she snapped out of her reverie. "Tell you what?" came her confused reply.

He shook his head in disbelief. "Tell me what's bothering you. Tell me what she talked to you about. Tell me why you haven't said more than two words since we left the hotel."

Beth opened her mouth to respond and then closed it. She set her purse on one of the chairs along with the envelope of financial records that Elena had given her earlier. She walked a short distance away and seemed to be intently staring at something on the floor. Looking back up at Mick, she had a look of determined concentration on her face. "There's just…….there's just so much to take in."

"Like what?" he asked, as he moved in front of her, his hands gently grasping her upper arms and sliding down until her hands were firmly held in his.

She smiled at the gesture and gave him a genuinely affectionate smile. "Everything. She told me about where she was from, what her life had been like at the beginning. She told me about all of the places she's been throughout her life and how each had presented its own problems and challenges. I can't even begin to fathom everything that she's been through, or what she's seen or experienced. You know?"

Mick nodded his head, because he too couldn't wrap his mind around it all. He still wasn't sure what to make of Elena, but he clearly had changed his opinion of her, at least slightly, as a result of what he had been told that evening. He still had yet to figure out what her interest in Beth was, but for some reason, he no longer felt that she was the threat he thought she would have been previously. He silently prayed that his instincts were right as far as that was concerned at least.

"I know……she's been through a lot. That's for sure. But……I guess if you lived 1500 years, you'd be able to tell a story or two as well." He smiled warmly at her, hoping to put her more at ease and maybe open up a bit more. Because for some reason, he got the feeling that her reticence had more to do with something else other than Elena's history lesson.

A loving smile graced her lips as she looked at him. Then she let go of his hands and wrapped her arms around him, melting into his body. He heard a contented sigh escape her as he gathered her to him and embraced her fully. As much as loved just holding her, her gesture bothered him. It almost felt as if she were trying to hide, to escape from something.

With a worried frown, he started, "Beth….."

"Shhhhh…..not now. Just…..just hold me……please," she implored him, her voice soft and almost inaudible as she buried her face in the hollow of his neck.

If he hadn't felt worried before, he certainly did now. But he did as she asked. He held her as tightly as he dared, his anxiety growing with each tick of the clock on the wall and with each beat of her vibrantly alive heart.

The two remained locked in each other's embrace for some time, slowly swaying to their own unheard rhythm, breathing each other in and content to just, be. And as the moment expanded, Mick began to wonder even more about what Elena had told Beth. Had she told her all of the pitfalls of a human and vampire relationship? Did the horror stories of the past only manage to worry Beth all the more about their possible future together? Is that why she seemed so afraid suddenly? Was she regretting what had happened between them just yesterday? Now that he'd had a taste of what life with her could be like, Mick knew that it would kill him to let her go. But if she truly was afraid of what might lie ahead for her, he knew that he would indeed give her up. It would easily be the most difficult thing he'd ever done, but her happiness and well-being would always come first with him.

Mick was startled out of his downward spiral of panic when Beth was actually the first to pull away. She again took his hands in hers and asked softly, "Do you need to sleep in the freezer this evening?"

Mick smiled and shook his head, his eyes drinking her in, amazed yet again at how lucky he had become. "No…..I should be okay until tomorrow."

"Good," was her only reply as she turned and headed toward the stairs, her one hand still clasped with his.

Once upstairs, Mick watched as she began to slowly peel off her clothes. He stopped her hands and pulled her toward him. "You know that we can't……"

Beth smiled knowingly and placed one finger on his lips in order to silence him. "I know. I just need to be near you tonight. That's all," she explained, her eyes glowing in the shadowy darkness.

His hands caressed her arms and then slowly drifted up to her face. His thumbs tenderly stroked her cheeks as he gazed into her eyes. He was still desperately trying to see what she had been trying to hide from him since leaving Elena's penthouse suite. There was something there, some look he couldn't define or interpret. But he also saw the love and caring that she felt for him and he was temporarily blinded by it. It washed over him and left him momentarily speechless. He'd had no right to ask for her love or even to expect it, but he was eternally grateful for it just the same, leaving him humbled. He lowered his lips to hers and the two shared a tender, almost chaste kiss. The incendiary passion from yesterday was replaced by the soul-binding tenderness of two hearts seeking the other and reveling in the joining. Where last night's fervor had united them in body, tonight was meant to secure their spirits.

After the two discarded their clothing, they climbed into the bed and wrapped each around the other. With one hand, Mick gently stroked Beth's arm as it lay draped across his chest as his other hand absently played with her long blonde hair. He knew the movements were lulling her into sleep as he could hear her heartbeat slow and her breathing become more shallow. He stared up at the ceiling and wondered if he would be able to sleep at all that night. Too many things had happened in the past 48 hours, too much information had been brought to light for his mind to shut down enough for him to slip into unconsciousness.

Beth stirred slightly in his arms as she snuggled closer to him. He smiled as he watched her burrow her way more fully into his embrace.

"I'm going to miss this," she whispered almost breathlessly.

Every muscle in Mick's body tensed, every nerve ending firing. "What did you say?" he asked more loudly than was necessary, startling Beth from her quasi-dream state.

Partly sitting up, a worried look on her face, Beth asked back, "What? What's wrong?" Her eyebrows were furrowed, her eyes staring intently into his.

"What did you just say?" he repeated, his face a mosaic of tension, worry and panic.

Beth looked down at her hands as they clasped the edge of the sheet covering them both. "I…..I'm not sure," she stammered. Mick watched intently as she tried to compose herself. "Oh," she began, "I think I said that I'm glad that I didn't miss this…….or something like that. You know…..that I'm glad that I stayed here tonight instead of going back to my place. Why? What's wrong?" she questioned again, as she looked back at him.

Mick studied her. Even in the near darkness, he could see she looked troubled. Was it just because she had been startled awake or was there something else? Something she was hiding from him, maybe?

When he didn't answer her directly, she reached out and gently stroked his cheek. "Mick? What is it?"

He stared at her for a few more seconds before slowly relaxing, the worried look gradually bleeding from his face. "Sorry…..I thought that you……that……." he began and finally just shook his head. "Never mind. I was probably just imagining it."

"Imagining what?" she asked, her face still full of concern.

"It doesn't matter. Come here," he softly commanded as he opened his arms to her yet again.

She hesitated for a second or two more before finally acquiescing. The two slowly settled back into their former positions although both were still far from relaxed. Mick could hear her take a breath before trying to speak and quickly hushed her. "It's okay…..just go to sleep."

He laid there for many minutes more waiting for her to finally relax enough to get some rest. And finally after almost a half hour, he could feel slumber overtake her. When he was sure that she was truly fast asleep, he finally let his mind wander to what he was sure he'd heard her say earlier. One of the "gifts" of being a vampire was the ability to hear and discern what others, what humans, couldn't. He was 100 positive she had said that she was going to miss this. A thousand thoughts raced through his head and none of them were good, none were reassuring.

And for the rest of the night, he did nothing but worry.

To be continued…………

--


	13. Chapter 13

**With this Blood……..Part 13**

The next couple of weeks went by quickly for Mick. Maybe too quickly, in his estimation. He'd taken on a case that had left him little time to think about the events of _that_ evening. The case had involved a runaway, a young boy of ten, and it seemed his every waking moment had been spent in pursuit of the youth. That's not to say that he hadn't had any free time, any diversions. On the contrary, Beth had, for all intents and purposes, moved in with him. As each day passed, more and more of her personal belongings began to filter into his home. Not that he minded. In fact, he didn't…..not one bit. He'd even thought about asking her to give up her apartment permanently, but thought better of it. Although she seemed to be adapting well to his way of life, he knew that things had moved incredibly fast. Maybe, at some point, she would still feel the need to step back a bit and catch her breath.

It was these thoughts that occupied his mind as he wrapped up the paperwork on the missing boy, a boy he'd found less than 48 hours before and had returned safely to his parents. Staring at the computer screen, he sighed, and realized that finishing the follow-up would have to wait. It seemed his mind had headed off into a different direction. Saving the document, he shut down the computer and let his mind drift.

Beth.

She seemed happy enough. In fact there were days when she seemed downright giddy. She would joke, and giggle and cajole until he'd find himself hopelessly lost in her enthusiasm and lightheartedness. He was still amazed at how simply they had transitioned into this relationship. He'd thought of a hundred and one reasons why this could never work between them, most notably, the human/vampire problem, her recent break-up with Josh, and adjusting to the vampire lifestyle. And yet, things still seemed to be going incredibly well for them. But that didn't mean that he still didn't worry. In fact, the idea that there wasn't a problem, worried him.

And then there would be other times when he would catch her staring off into space, her mind obviously wandering, an almost forlorn look on her face. If she caught him watching her, she immediately snapped out of it and replaced the sad look with another of her brilliant smiles. What was worse, anytime he'd tried to ask her about it, somehow she always managed not to answer. She'd begin to explain and then would quickly switch the subject to another topic or find some way to distract him.

And distracting him, as it turned out, wasn't that difficult at all. All she had to do was come close to him, and he was immediately lost. He smiled thinking about how many times she'd used that bit of knowledge to her advantage. It hadn't been easy, and, quite frankly, still wasn't. The fact that they had to……curtail certain activities became more and more of a challenge. Not an entirely unpleasant challenge, he thought mischievously, but with a bit of ingenuity, a touch of imagination, they were able to weather the hormonal overload that always accompanied starting a new relationship. If the two had been human……he smirked thinking about how much time they would have ended spending in the bedroom. Given their present circumstances, that just wasn't possible, no matter how much either one of them wished for it.

Mick's daydream was interrupted when he heard the front door open closely followed by Beth's voice calling out as she looked for him.

"I'm in here," he answered.

Seconds later, Beth walked into Mick's office, her hands full of packages. His eyes widened when it looked as if she might have bought out the store.

"I thought you were supposed to have been working today?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

She wrinkled her nose at him as she smiled and answered, "I was working. But if someone would recall correctly, we have a big celebration to go to tomorrow night. And believe it or not, I don't have a lot of party clothes to choose from, so I was forced to shop today."

"Forced, huh?" he countered playfully.

"Yep. Now…..I need your opinion," she told him as she wrangled the garment bag loose from the other packages.

"My opinion?" he asked dubiously. "You want my opinion on fashion?"

She smiled indulgently at him as she unzipped the bag and drew out the dress inside. "Yes. I want your opinion," she informed him, still smiling, eyes twinkling.

As Beth held the dress in front of her, Mick eyed the piece and looked up into her expectant eyes, not sure what he was supposed to say, or how to react. "That looks…..nice."

Clearly it was not the reaction she was looking for because her smile faltered and she looked down at the item in her hands. "Nice?" she asked despondently. "Just nice?"

"No, I mean, it looks great," he tried again.

Again she looked down at the dress and back at him. "You don't like it," she announced sadly.

"I didn't say that. It's just that…….."

"It's just that what?" she questioned, interrupting him.

Sighing heavily, he rose from his chair and rounded the desk. "Beth…..I'm a man……an 85 year old man…….I don't do…..fashion," he tried to explain, his eyes looking at hers as apologetically as he could muster.

She stared back at him for a second or two more before he saw the beginnings of a smile begin to form in her eyes and slowly spread across her face. "You know…….I think I still have a hard time with that," she informed him. "Not the you being a man part…….I think I have a pretty good handle on that," she stated, that smile taking on a playful aspect. "I mean the 85 years old thing."

He just smiled warmly at her, indeed knowing that it was still a lot to process, even after knowing his secret for some months now.

She held up the dress yet again. "How about I model it for you. Would that help in the opinion-giving department?"

"It might," he told her, his eyes darkening as he looked at her.

He could tell she caught on immediately, as a blush crept up her face and neck. "Do you promise to behave yourself if I change into this?" she tried to ask as innocently as possible.

"No," he said truthfully, his voice low and seductive.

She looked into his eyes for a second longer and replied teasingly, "In that case……I don't think you deserve a fashion show." She turned her back to him and began putting the garment back into its bag.

He walked up behind her and slid his hands around her waist, pulling her back against him. Lowering his head, he spoke softly into her ear. "I have a better idea…….how about we skip the new dress and just take care of the undressing part?" He then began to nip and lightly bite the side her neck.

He felt a shiver run through her, her heartbeat sped up immediately and her breathing became erratic. He continued his assault, taking her earlobe between his teeth and gently sucking it.

"Mick……" was all she could say, one hand on top of his as it caressed her hip, her other hand reaching up and threading through his wavy hair.

As he continued his unhurried onslaught on her neck, he marveled yet again at how quickly she became aroused whenever he touched her. Her passion, her youth, her vibrancy was sometimes overwhelming, sometimes threatening to overtake him and pull him under into oblivion, but he reveled in it, just the same. Holding her in his arms, feeling her response to his touch, to his presence, he knew he'd never felt more alive in his life, as human or vampire. It was an awe-inspiring feeling, one he hoped he'd never have to live without.

"Didn't you say…….that you wanted……my opinion…….on something," he asked in between kisses.

She then turned in his arms and pressed herself fully to him, her hands plunging into his hair yet again as she pulled him closer. "Later," she breathed against his lips, as her mouth finally devoured his.

His eyes wrinkled with amusement, as he was only too happy to comply.

-------------------------

Some time later, the two walked back down the stairs, bodies and hearts fully sated. He watched her as she practically sashayed into the office in order to retrieve the forgotten parcels. He smirked to himself as he eyed her languid movements, knowing that he was the cause of her released sensuality. He thought yet again of the creative method they'd had to resort to in order to discharge their passions. To say that it had made more than one or two nights or afternoons more enjoyable would have been an understatement. He chuckled to himself thinking about how much he'd come to enjoy his non-sex life.

Of course, there had been one night, just days before actually, when he and she both had lost all control. He'd just made it back home after returning the runaway to his more than grateful parents. He was exhausted, and hungry, never a good combination when it came to being a vampire. Defenses were often down in those moments, inhibitions lowered. He'd walked in and immediately felt that something was different. At first he was on alert, all senses and synapses firing, when he finally caught what the difference was. It was Beth. Something was off. Something was…..different. Then he spied her. She was sitting on one of the steps, her head tilted as she watched him. She said nothing, but just continued to stare in the near darkness. He required no light in order to see the pure naked need in her eyes. As he slowly crossed the room toward her, her scent assailed him. Immediately he flashed back to that night some months ago when she'd come to him, high on Black Crystal, ready to give herself to him even then.

"Beth…..what have you done?" he asked softly. His eyes never leaving hers.

She didn't answer, but slowly came to her feet and walked the remaining steps down to the lower level. Crossing the space, she stopped immediately in front of him and splayed her hands across his chest, caressing and stroking.

"Did you take any more of that drug?" he asked as seriously as he could, her touch playing havoc with the barely controlled beast within.

"Yes……" she breathed, her mouth finding the hollow of his exposed neck, her tongue darting out to lick the skin she found there.

Mick shut his eyes tightly, trying to reclaim some semblance of control, but fighting a losing battle. She had to know what she was doing to him, had to know that he was close to his breaking point. But when she playfully bit one of the tendons on his neck, the last of his self-control snapped and he had her up the stairs quicker than she could blink.

That night, he recalled, was more than incredible, more unrestrained than he could ever recall being with anyone, even Coraline. The next morning he had felt more than a bit guilty for what had happened, sure that Beth would wake and look at him as the monster that he was. For as she still slept, he looked over her body and saw the beginnings of more than a few bruises and yet another bite mark to match the one that was still not fully healed. He felt the old familiar remorse rear its ugly head, and was spirally down into the pit of self-loathing when her felt her stir next to him. He glanced at her and was surprised to see a smile play at her lips as she slowly came awake. As her eyes opened and she spied him, that smile widened as she stretched provocatively. Her face registered nothing but satisfaction, nothing but love, nothing but acceptance, and he was in awe. And not for the first time since he'd gotten to know her, did he wonder how he'd gotten so lucky.

He shook his head, as he tried to dislodge the memory from the other night. As he did so, Beth came back out of the office, bags now firmly in hand. She smiled at him as she moved past him, making her way back upstairs.

"Well…..it looks like you will just have to wait to see the dress until tomorrow night, since it seems like _someone_ didn't want to see my fashion show," she stated playfully, winking as she went by him.

"Speaking of the party, I'm still picking you up at BuzzWire, right? Or did you want to come back here to change?"

"No….just pick me up there. I might be a little late. I hope Josef won't mind, but it'll save a trip. I'll just make sure I bring everything with me in the morning when I leave for work."

Mick grabbed a hold of her before she went up no more than two steps. Kissing her gently, he pulled back and gazed at her lovingly.

"I love you…..you know that, right?" he told her, his eyes warm and sincere.

Her face lit up as she looked back at him, leaning in to give him another kiss. She nodded then, her smile unwavering, "I love you too." She looked into his eyes for a second or two more, before she turned and continued up the stairs, glancing back once to see him watching her ascent. Her smile grew and he could hear her chuckle to herself as she continued turning the corner out of sight.

Mick continued to stand at the bottom of the stairs for a moment or two more, listening to the rustling sounds she was making upstairs. He was sure the goofiest of grins was gracing his face at the moment, but he didn't really care. He was happy.

For the first time, in a very long time, he was actually and without question, happy. He wondered absently what he'd done to deserve it.

To be continued……….


	14. Chapter 14

**With this Blood……….Part 14**

Mick sat back with some amusement as he watched Beth run around muttering to herself as she prepared to leave for work. She'd been awake for some hours, trying to give herself plenty of time to gather everything she would need for the party at Josef's later that evening. She'd even managed to find time to sweep her hair up into a stylish French twist complete with a tasteful jeweled clip. And yet, she still seemed panicked about the idea that she'd forgotten something important.

"Is that it?" he heard her say to herself as she walked by him for the twentieth time. "That has to be it…..right?"

"Beth?" he asked, trying his best not to laugh at her.

"Hmmmm……." she murmured distractedly, as she tunneled through the small bag she was bringing with her, filled with cosmetics and anything else that wouldn't fit in the small clutch purse she'd switched to earlier.

Mick rose from the chair and purposefully stood in her way as she started to run around his place once more. She almost plowed into him before realizing that he was there. Startled, she looked up at him with a questioning expression. Taking a hold of her arms, he dipped his head so that he was looking directly in her eyes.

"It's okay. If you forget something, all you have to do is call me. You know that, right?" He gave her his best understanding smile, and watched as she thought over what he'd just said.

She gave him a tight, stress-filled smile. Stretching up she planted a quick kiss on the lips and mumbled, "Uh huh," before dashing past him once again.

He stood there for a second more, practically riveted to the spot, before he shook his head in befuddlement and deciding that after 85 years, he still hadn't come any closer to understanding women and their desire to look perfect for social events.

After several minutes more of hurried scurrying, Beth finally started gathering everything in her arms as she prepared to leave. Speaking to herself yet again, he heard her name off each item as she grabbed it. "Dress……make-up……shoes……purse. Purse! Oh shoot!" she exclaimed as she dumped the items once more on his couch and sprinted for the stairs.

Mick quickly stepped out of the way in an effort to keep from getting run over. He looked back and forth, confused, from Beth running up the stairs to the purse that currently lay tossed aside on the couch. He could hear her upstairs almost silently cursing as she obviously was looking for some nearly forgotten item. After a flurry of activity, she quickly descended and crossed over to where she had nearly pitched the items from earlier. He saw her retrieve something from her pocket, open the clutch and put the item or items inside. It was then that she saw him watching her. She smiled almost nervously, shrugged her shoulders and simply said, "Girl stuff."

Mick looked baffled for a second or two before it occurred to him what she was probably referring to. "Oh," was all he said, trying not to seem embarrassed by the situation. It had been much longer than just a few years since such situations had mattered to him. Having a menstruating woman around during _that_ time would certainly provide certain…..challenges.

Beth once more gathered the articles as she prepared to leave….yet again. "Okay……I guess I'm off," she informed him, a slight flush to her face as she calmed down from all of the running around.

"Are you sure?" he inquired, a mocking smile on his face.

"Ha, ha," she sassed back, a smile of her own gracing her lips. "I'll call you about ½ hour before I'm ready to leave. It shouldn't be too late. I'll try……."

"It's okay. Josef's parties don't really get going until later anyway. You know……vampires and all," he told her as way of explanation.

Beth nodded, a small chuckle escaping her. "Right. Almost forgot." She approached him, and in spite of the items in her arms, she tried to tip toe in order to kiss him goodbye.

Reaching out, he steadied her a bit and kissed her back, lingering more than a few seconds longer than was necessary. "I'll see you later," he whispered to her as he watched a warm smile spread across her face. After one last look, she turned and quickly left, her change of clothes, accessory bag and small purse, clutched in her arms.

After the door closed, Mick shook his head in wonder. Again, after so many years, he pondered if the females species would ever cease to amaze him. After engaging the door alarm, he turned and headed toward the stairs, and his awaiting freezer. He knew that rest would be an absolute necessity today. Knowing Josef, and now knowing the reason for tonight's celebration, he had no doubt that everyone would be in for an evening to remember.

-------------------------------------------

It was nearly 7:30PM, when Mick's phone finally rang. Glancing at the caller ID, a tender smile spread across his face.

"Hey gorgeous," he answered in his best seductive voice.

He could hear Beth chuckle on the other end of the line. "Hey yourself, sexy," she countered, her voice equally dripping with heat and a whole lot of promise. "Can you give a girl a lift?" she asked flirtily.

"Depends….."

"On?"

"Who the girl is and what she's wearing."

"Ahhhh…….I see how it is," she joked back. "Shall I describe what I'm wearing, or would you like to come and inspect the goods yourself?"

Mick raised an eyebrow and marveled at how playful she seemed this evening. A flirty, sexy Beth was something he could definitely get used to. "Save the description. I'm on my way, and let me warn you……I may insist on a hands on inspection."

He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he heard a soft moan from her end of the conversation. "Hmmmm…….I may hold you to that."

Mick smiled to himself and had to admit that she gave as good as she got. Grabbing his keys, he exited the apartment and walked toward the elevator. "I'm just leaving now," he informed her. "I should be there in about 20 or 25 minutes."

"Okay, I'll be waiting outside the main entrance. See you in a bit."

The two hung up and soon after, Mick was on his way. Pulling up in front of the BuzzWire offices, he exited the vehicle and approached the beautiful blonde standing so patiently exactly where she said she would be. As he rounded the front end of the car, he slowed and took a few moments to take in her appearance.

Stunning was the only word that leapt to mind. Stunning and deadly, he corrected himself, as he watched her execute a twirl that would have been the envy of most runway models. The sleeveless dress she wore was black, covered in subtle beadwork, and came to about mid-thigh. The front was almost conservative by some standards, as it almost completely covered her up to her collarbone. It was the back, however…….the opposite side that kicked the dress up another notch. It left her back completely bare from neck to just below her natural waist. The effect was sophisticated but, definitely sexy.

"Wow," was the only thing he could say as he approached her, his wide eyes devouring every square inch of her.

Twirling yet again, she looked up at him smiling and asked, "So do I pass inspection?"

"Most definitely…….most definitely," he heard himself mumble absentmindedly. Because to be fair, his brain wasn't quite fully engaged at the moment, although other parts of him were certainly riveted to the sight before him.

He glanced up at Beth's face when he heard her very subtly clear her throat. Caught red-handed unabashedly checking her out, he should have been embarrassed. But knowing that this was the exact reaction she was looking for, he felt no remorse.

He quickly switched to gentleman mode and offered her his arm before escorting her to his car. Opening the door for her, he watched in fascination as she maneuvered herself into a seated position, the skirt of her dress riding dangerously high up her leg. And that, was exactly where his eyes were drawn. He gave her a quick wink when she again caught him looking before closing her door and proceeding to the driver's side. And seconds later they were on their way.

The two rode in silence but not unaware. Each stealing glances at the other, and smiling secretly to themselves. Beth suddenly interrupted the quiet when she announced, "Oh, you're going to have to take another route to Josef's. I just saw on the wire before I left, that a wildfire was out of control between here and there."

"I saw that on the news too. I'll take the back way. It may mean a few more minutes in the car, but no sense getting stuck in traffic and miss even more of the party then we already will."

The two once again fell into a comfortable stillness, but Mick could tell that there was something on Beth's mind as, several times, he could see her open her mouth to start to say something and then close it again.

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes darting back and forth between her and the road.

Beth glanced at him, only somewhat surprised that he could tell that something was on her mind. "I…….I was just wondering. You know…..about the people that will be there tonight."

Mick laughed softly. "You mean, how many will be vampires?"

Beth smiled almost apologetically, and simply nodded.

He gave her a warm, understanding smile before answering. "Honestly, I'm not sure. This is the first "birthday" party I'll have ever been at. But judging from Josef's other soirees, I'd say it's going to be a good 60/40 or even 70/30 mix. In favor of vampires, of course," he informed her, as he quickly looked at her, his eyes flashing that icy vamp blue for but the briefest of seconds.

Beth's smile widened as she noticed the gesture. She reached out her hand and placed it over his, letting their fingers entwine. And that's where their hands remained until Mick's car slowly maneuvered closer to Josef's house. Every street within blocks was packed with expensive car after expensive car. Mick saw Beth's eyes widen as they passed dozens upon dozens of vehicles.

"We'll never find a spot to park," she stated, her voice full of concern.

"Don't worry. Josef has valet parking for these affairs."

Pulling into the large circular driveway, they were met with at least 6 parking attendants, smartly attired and ready to help. Their doors were opened for them and both exited the vehicle. Mick rounded the car and once again offered Beth his arm. Making their way through the heavily planted atrium, they arrived at the wide glass doors, also manned by two attendants.

Once inside, Mick watched as Beth marveled at not only the number of people inside, and their dazzling attire, but also at the manner in which the house had been decorated. The best of the best would have been an understatement. Everywhere there was opulence, a richness, and unquestioning sense of taste and refinement. The sight reminded her instantly of Elena and she wondered how much input the woman had had in the arrangements for the evening's festivities.

Seconds later, Mick and Beth were approached by two different waiters, each holding a tray of liquid filled glasses. Mick could see that Beth was slightly confused, but she still accepted the glass that undoubtedly held only the finest champagne. He saw her turn toward him to ask about it, when her eyes glanced at his own glass and then up at him. He saw the exact second when the realization hit. One set of waiters serviced the vampire crowd. The others were charged with keeping the humans supplied with other liquid refreshments. And since the wait staff would have to know which attendee was which, no doubt they were all vampires as well. Beth shook her head in amazement at the efficiency.

"There you are," Mick heard above the music and the din of conversation. Turning, he saw Josef walk toward them. Dressed in a fashionable Armani tuxedo although with the bowtie already undone and hanging loosely around his neck, he looked every bit the jet-setting playboy that he envisioned himself to be. He warmly shook Mick's hand and turned all of his attention quickly to Beth. Mick had seen that look on Josef's face before. In fact, the first time he had introduced the two, Josef had looked like he had wanted to devour Beth, he just hadn't been sure in what way, although neither option would have been acceptable. The intense stare and not so-subtle leering smile, was almost more than Mick could stand. And he watched helplessly as Josef took Beth's hand in his and kissed her knuckles.

Mick let the moment linger just a second or two more before reaching out and extracting Beth's hand from Josef's over-zealous grip. To his credit, Josef did look a bit apologetic when he turned his attention back to Mick. And for his part, he tried yet again to remind himself that this was his best friend. And generally, it was considered in poor taste to lop off the head of someone that near and dear to you, especially if a party was being held in their honor.

Josef smiled sheepishly and decided to ignore the jealous look in his friends eyes. Speaking then to Beth, he said, "There are some appetizers and such over there if you're hungry, and if you feel like dancing, we also have a band out on the terrace." A devilish look crossed his face before he added, "And if the mood strikes, we're never opposed to a little late night skinny dipping, if the pool looks inviting."

Mick cleared his throat loudly and firmly wrapped his arm around Beth's waist, pulling her securely next to him. He also threw Josef an "I'm really not amused" look, which his dear friend again chose to ignore. But before he could say anything outright, Elena suddenly appeared next to the three.

"Bethany….Michael…..I am so pleased that you could attend," she told them sincerely, a pleasant and inviting smile on her face. She kissed both on the cheek and proceeded to wrap her arm around Beth's. "You look absolutely stunning, my dear. I do hope that your escort knows exactly how lucky a man he is to be with you this fine evening."

Mick watched as Beth's cheeks colored a bit as she glanced quickly up at him. He smiled lovingly back at her and responded to Elena's statement, although his eyes never left Beth's. "He does indeed know how lucky he is. Believe me."

Elena looked pleased by the exchange and gently extracted Beth from Mick's side. "Come….there are many people I am anxious for you to meet." With her arm still entwined with Beth's, the two sauntered away, Elena already whispering to Beth and pointing to this person and that.

Mick looked after the two and only after a few seconds more did he finally notice Josef staring at him, an accusing grin on his face. "Man….you really do have it bad, don't you?"

Mick chose to ignore the taunt and instead asked, "So what's up with those two?" indicating Beth and Elena with a tilt of his head.

Josef shifted his focus to the two women now engaged in conversation with a Senator and a well-known actress and her husband. Shaking his head, "I have no idea. Elena's really taken to her though."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Mick questioned, more to himself that anything else.

"Well….in this case, I would have to say, so far, it seems like a good thing. And certainly preferable to the alternatives." The two shared an understanding look before they too began mingling with the crowd.

-----------------------

The evening wore on and the party was deemed a major success by all who attended. Mick even surprised Beth by not only dancing admirably well with her but also by singing softly to her as the two swayed to "The Way You Look Tonight", telling her afterwards of his former occupation as singer and guitarist. The look in her eyes at that moment was priceless and one he knew he would never forget, as well as mentally taking note to look into buying another guitar, visions of serenading her flashing in his head.

It was almost midnight when Beth's cell phone rang. Retrieving it from her purse, she frowned as she looked at the caller ID. She gave Mick an apologetic smile as she answered. It didn't take a PI to ascertain that it was her editor and she was being asked to come back to work. After some argument on her part, Beth finally gave in and hung up.

"I'm so sorry, but……"

"You have a story you need to cover," he finished for her, trying to be understanding and supportive.

"I'm afraid so." Sighing heavily, she continued, "It seems that there's been another development in that banker's story. I guess he decided tonight would be a good time to barricade himself in his house and hold his wife hostage instead of surrendering to the authorities. And since it was originally my story……"

"You have to go."

She looked into his eyes, regret already showing. She simply nodded, almost as if words escaped her.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "This is part of who you are…..what you are."

She kissed him softly on the cheek. "Thank you, " she whispered to him. "I really, really don't want to go. You know that, right?"

Mick simply smiled and nodded. "Do you need for me to drop you off at the office?"

She shook her head. "I'm just going to call Steve and tell him to pick me up here. It'll be the easiest thing, I think."

"Okay. Then I'll just stay here until you call, and then go pick you up after you're finished."

She kissed him once more before she walked away and called her cameraman.

Twenty minutes or so later, after making her excuses to Josef and Elena, Beth left, sadly waving at Mick as the BuzzWire van pulled away from Josef's palatial estate.

------------

The first rays of dawn were creeping across the horizon, and not many partygoers were left wandering about, most having left sometime between 3 and 4. Josef and Mick lounged comfortably on one of the expansive couches, each leisurely sipping a glass of well-aged scotch.

Mick's quiet reverie was disturbed by the vibration of his cell phone. Expecting Beth's call, he immediately looked at the screen and chose to ignore this particular caller.

Josef looked at his questioningly. "It's just Guillermo. I told him I would be stopping by after the party. He's probably just wondering where I am or when I'm going to get there."

Josef simply nodded. "Market day, huh?" A moment's silence went by before he added, "I would've thought that now that you and Beth are together you wouldn't need……"

Mick huffed, "She's not a buffet, Josef. And you know darn well that I can't……" He left the statement at that, knowing his old friend would get the meaning without making him say the actual words. He then caught the smirk and quietly added, "Bastard." The two laughed and continued sipping their drinks.

"So…..how long is Elena going to be around?" Mick asked, changing the subject.

Josef shook his head. "I have no idea. When she left earlier, she said something about joining me for dinner in a day or so. So at least another couple of days. Although I can't imagine it being much longer that that. She has very little tolerance for most Americans."

"Too casual?" Mick guessed.

"Maybe…..or just not European enough." Again the two grinned knowingly.

Again Mick's cell phone came to life. He glanced at the screen once more and this time saw a text message waiting. "Alright, alright……man, Guillermo…..what is it with the texting?" he muttered to himself as he rose and walked away, this time activating the screen. Setting his now empty tumbler on one of the tables, he began reading the message.

Josef still sat on the sofa, his mind wandering as he looked out at the steadily brightening sky. His daydreaming was interrupted when an unknown sound came from Mick's direction where he stood some 15 feet away. At first, Josef couldn't imagine what he had heard, and then noticed Mick's cell phone now lying on the floor next to his feet. And Mick……Mick seemed to be staring off into nothingness.

"Mick?" he asked tentatively. And when he got no response, he asked again, only this time louder, "Mick? What is it?" He became a bit alarmed when he saw Mick slowly begin to walk toward the door, almost as if he was in some sort of trance.

Josef rose from his place on the couch and approached the now discarded phone. Picking it up, it took him a few seconds to figure out how to get the damned thing to work. Once the screen came on, he saw that the message was still showing.

_M_

_Victims of 405 accident brought here. _

_Your friend Beth T is among them. _

_What do u want me 2 do with_

_her body?_

_G_

Josef read over the message 4 or 5 times, still not believing what he was seeing. Now panicking, he looked up at the now open front door and back to the message.

Josef simply muttered, "Oh shit……"

To be continued………


	15. Chapter 15

**With this Blood……..Part 15**

With Mick's cell phone still grasped firmly in hand, Josef began shouting out orders. As everyone was in the process of assembling, Josef, himself, had even gone outside hoping he could pick up on which direction Mick had headed. What complicated that more than anything was the thin mist of smoke that now assaulted his senses, smoke from the brushfire still some ten or so miles away.

Josef stopped dead in his tracks and looked off to the west, toward where he knew the fire was now raging. An icy cold chill ran up his spine as a horrible thought occurred to him. What if, in a moment of overwhelming grief, Mick had decided to end it all? Shaking off the thought and the momentary panic it brought, Josef headed back inside, grateful to see that everyone was ready. Again he barked out orders. Who was to go where and that they were to report back to him immediately if Mick was found. Within mere seconds everyone dispersed and his own car was brought around.

Hopping into the back of the limousine, Josef glanced again at the message on the cell phone. Hoping yet again, that something had been missed, some word misinterpreted. But the word "body" pretty much summed it up. If Beth had merely accompanied the victims to the morgue, Guillermo wouldn't have said "body". He thought for a moment about what the message had meant to Mick. There was no doubt at all in Josef's mind that his dear friend was indeed in love with Beth Turner. He'd seen the two bond in such a short span of time, drawn together by some seemingly unknown force. But then, he reminded himself, love didn't always make sense. And to lose someone you loved unconditionally was certainly the worst pain of all. He felt a momentary tug at his undead heart before he successfully buried unwanted memories. Now was not the time or the place. Now his number one priority was to find Mick and stop him before he did something idiotic, something irrevocable, something he'd probably even considered in the early days after his turning.

As the vehicle made its way out of the hills, Josef spotted Mick's Mercedes still parked along one of the winding lanes. Immediately flipping open his own cell phone, he issued quick instructions to the one that answered that Mick's car was to be retrieved and locked in the garage. Finishing the abrupt conversation, he briefly reflected that it might indeed have been a good thing that Mick had set out on foot. Without his car, the search area would be somewhat reduced.

Sitting back once again, Josef stared out the window, not really seeing the passing terrain. On a subconscious level, he continually scanned what he was seeing for any sign, any left behind evidence. But currently his mind was preoccupied with the events of the last couple of weeks. In the span of a fortnight, his best friend had claimed his lifetime mate and lost her, and to a senseless car wreck it seemed. For all of Mick's worries, all of his guilt over putting her in danger because of who and what he was, how ironic was it that in the end, she met her demise from something as petty as a car crash. And even though knowing him and being with him had made no difference at all in how Beth had died, Josef was all too aware that Mick was now racked with overwhelming guilt. From the moment he had rescued Beth from Coraline's clutches, he had vowed to protect Beth from any harm that might come her way. And although it was ridiculous to think that Mick could have been there for every moment of her now all-too-brief existence, he knew that wouldn't stop his friend from laying any and all blame on himself. And THAT was what worried Josef the most. Even if he somehow found Mick, what could he possibly say or do to convince him that not only was it not his fault, but that life was still worth living.

As he continued to stare out the darkly tinted limousine windows, Josef's mind drifted to another time, another place, and to a girl now laying deathly still in a bed in New York City. Unlike Mick, he knew that what had happened to his beloved Sarah had indeed been his fault. If he'd only been stronger, been more steadfast in his desire to not turn her into what he was, they might have had many happy years together, instead of just the one. A year's worth of memories that he kept safely hidden, locked securely away, in the deep recesses of his immortal soul.

The heavy silence was interrupted by the ringing of a phone, and almost to Josef's surprise, he realized it was Mick's cell that had interrupted his descent into regret. Picking up the device, he saw that it was once again Mick's friend from the morgue. Sighing forcefully, he decided to answer.

"Yes," he started, his voice sharp and controlled.

"Mick?" came the confused reply from the other end.

"No. This is Josef Konstantin," he answered, knowing the man would recognize his name, as the two had met briefly some years ago.

"Oh…..sorry…..I was looking for Mick," Guillermo continued, confusion still evident in his voice.

"Mick…..Mick isn't available right now. What can I do for you?" Josef supplied, not sure exactly what to divulge as to Mick's whereabouts.

There was a rather lengthy pause before Guillermo answered. "I was just wondering when Mick would be getting here. I've solved one problem but now there's another."

Josef's brow furrowed. "What problem are you talking about?"

"Well……at first it was just a matter of keeping his friend's body away from the coroner and now……..well now……."

"Yes?" Josef urged.

"Well now……damn it….this girl is _hungry_!"

Josef's confusion escalated a hundredfold. "What in the hell are you talking about? What do you mean she's hungry?"

"I'm saying that she's already downed seven pints and she's looking for more!"

Then it all of a sudden became clear. Josef's eyes widened and something akin to shock set in. Beth Turner wasn't dead. She was undead. But that revelation only led to one question……who had turned her?

"She's a vampire?" he heard himself ask, although the answer was obvious.

"Well yeah," came the amused replied. "I just don't get why Mick let her come in with the others."

Josef almost missed the reply as his mind was still trying to process what he'd been told and how it was more important than ever that he find his grief stricken friend. Shaking his head in order to clear his thoughts, he finally answered, "Mick didn't do this."

"Oh…….sorry again…..I just assumed, man."

"Yeah……." Josef thought for a second about how to proceed. He had dozens of people out looking for Mick, so it appeared as if his first priority was to retrieve the newly turned Beth from the morgue. "Look…..just keep her as comfortable as possible. I'll be there in twenty minutes or less."

"Good……good…….girl is eating us out of house and home. Know what I mean?" Guillermo replied, relief evident in his voice.

Without saying anything else, Josef abruptly disconnected the call, his mind already churning out ideas about how to proceed, who to recruit for this endeavor. He'd been witness to a few vampires newly turned and knew that he wouldn't be very good at handling the situation. So his first task was to gather the right people together to handle it. The one person who would be ideal for this particular assignment was the one person he couldn't find at the moment.

Less than a half hour later, Josef's limousine pulled up to the back entrance of the LA County Morgue. Exiting the vehicle, he donned his sunglasses and frowned at the building's façade. He knew that more than a few people would be surprised to find out that Josef Konstantin was not at all comfortable around dead bodies. Call it a fear, call it an aversion. It was the main reason he always employed others to do any necessary killing. That and the fact that he didn't like to get his hands dirty…..literally.

Walking through the door, he made his way down a hallway, wrinkling his nose as he was assaulted with the stench of death, almost overpowering in the building's confines. It still amazed him how not only could Mick come in here on a regular basis for his constant supply of blood, but also how vampires could bring themselves to work here.

Rounding one more corner, he found who he was looking for. And for more than a second, he wondered why Guillermo looked startled, maybe even scared.

"Where is she?" Josef asked, quickly and to the point.

He watched the shorter man open his mouth and then quickly close it. Looking around, he grabbed hold of Josef's arm and pulled him a bit further away from the doorway he'd just exited. Now almost whispering, the morgue attendant explained, "She's not here."

"What do you mean she's not here?" Josef retorted, his voice anything but hushed.

Guillermo looked panic-stricken. "Someone came and got her," he tried to explain, his tone uncertain and apologetic.

"Who…..who came and got her?" Josef asked through no clenched teeth, not at all happy about being led on some sort of fool's errand.

"I…..I didn't get a name," he saw Josef's eyes flash dangerously, so he quickly continued. "It was some woman and a man with her. She was the one giving the orders though. He was definitely just the hired help."

Josef had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly who the woman had been. "Describe her," he commanded.

"Really nicely dressed, foreign accent, about 30 or 35 years old. Her hair was……."

"Auburn," Josef finished.

Guillermo looked surprised and just said, "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," Josef replied sarcastically.

Rather hesitantly, Guillermo ventured one more detail. "There was one more weird thing though." Again looking around, making sure that the two were not being overheard, he added, "There were no bite marks, man. Not sure how the vamp did it, but they didn't suck her dry, that's for sure."

Josef stared at the man for a few seconds, again trying to process the information. Then without saying another word, he simply turned and headed out the way he came, leaving a befuddled and probably relieved Guillermo in his wake.

Exiting the building, he felt like screaming. He didn't know the details, and at this point, he didn't care what those details were, but Elena had to be stopped. He'd put up with her manipulations and machinations for centuries. But he'd be damned if he was going to let her run the lives of the people he cared about. He'd had enough, and one way or another, it was going to end.

Climbing once more into the waiting car, he gave one simple instruction to the driver.

"The Regent Beverly Wilshire…….and I want to be there ten minutes ago."

To be continued……..


	16. Chapter 16

**With this Blood ………..Part 16**

Josef's limousine pulled up in front of the Regent Beverly Wilshire in record time, his driver not daring to let his boss down. Without even waiting for assistance, Josef exited the vehicle and breezed past the doorman who attempted to give him some sort of cordial greeting.

With determined stride, he walked directly to the top floor elevators and brusquely told the attendant his name. The somewhat flustered man looked at Josef and as quickly as possible scanned the list and hastily got them underway, he too sensing that this was one person not to keep waiting. With no further word, Josef exited the lift and turned toward the penthouse doors.

Knocking firmly, he waited just seconds before shoving his way past the servant answering the door.

Quickly scanning the room, he asked, "Where is she?" Only then turning toward the older man in Elena's employ.

"May I ask as to whom……"

"You know damned well who I'm talking about. Where is she?" he asked again, his teeth firmly clamped together, the pitch of his voice rising slightly.

"Madam is not receiving visitors at the moment," the man answered, his voice and manner still eerily calm.

"Not receiving visitors……" Josef mumbled to himself, a smirk now gracing his lips. "Well that's about to change," he added, turning heel and striding toward the first of many closed doors in the opulent suite.

Opening the first, he saw that it was one of the smaller bedrooms attached to the suite, and that it was empty. Slamming the door, he continued. "Elena!" he yelled, not caring who he disturbed in the vicinity. Just as he reached the next entryway, one of the doors opposite him opened, and an impeccably dressed Elena stepped gracefully and calmly into the room.

Josef stared at his sire for a few seconds more, not even attempting to hide the loathing and scorn in his eyes. "What in the hell have you done?" he finally inquired, his voice low and menacing.

He watched as an indulgent smile transformed her face. "Perhaps you would like to have a drink……"

"I don't want any god damned drink, Elena. I want to know what the hell you did to Beth," he informed her as he now slowly crossed the room toward her.

He was pleased to see the smile falter slightly, as she noted his progress as he walked closer to her. Only when he finally stood directly in front of her did she reply, "I did nothing for which she did not ask."

Josef scoffed and continued to look directly into her eyes. "This has to stop, Elena. You can't go around controlling people's lives……._my_ life," he added, finally saying what he'd been trying to for centuries. "These are friends of mine, and you can't keep playing god any time it suits you."

Elena stared at him for a moment more before narrowing her eyes, bowing her head slightly and walking past Josef as she more fully entered the living area of the room. "And how, exactly, Josef, have I ever played god with you?"

Josef turned his head and glared daggers through her turned back. "How? You have to be kidding me. Do you even have to ask?" he inquired, his voice betraying his disbelief.

Turning then, she faced him once more. "Apparently, I do."

He looked at her then and saw true confusion and maybe what could only be interpreted as hurt in her eyes. It baffled him and left him feeling at unease. This confrontation wasn't going anything like he'd envisioned it progressing. Whenever he'd played the encounter out in his mind, it had always ended badly, sometimes even resulting in his own death. But this……this was something unexpected, and it served only to lessen some of the boiling rage that he'd felt some seconds before.

"Elena……" he began and shook his head, trying to find the right words to say what he'd wanted to say for more years than he could count. "Elena…..you've tortured me and left me for dead, isn't that enough?" There were so many more instances that he wanted to bring to her attention, but that one moment, possibly the worst experience of his life, came glaringly to the forefront.

He watched as she again dropped her gaze, and he prepared for the worst. Her wrath often came at a lightning pace, with no warning whatsoever. He hated the fact that he was vulnerable in this instance, that his fate was now out of his hands. His gut clenched as he readied for a blow of unknown origin.

"And what, may I ask, have you done to me, Josef?" she returned, her voice soft, and if he wasn't mistaken, slightly tremulous. As she raised her head to look at him once more, the attack he had expected came in an unfathomable form, as he watched her eyes fill with tears.

In all of the years that he had known Elena, never once had he seen her cry, nor had he even seen her visibly upset. To look now into the eyes that he knew almost as well as his own, he was at a loss as to how to respond, how to react. He was thoroughly mesmerized as he followed a single tear as it slowly made its journey down the side of her flawless face. As he returned his attention to her eyes, he suddenly was wary of her show of emotion. She was a master manipulator of the worst kind. Perhaps this was just another ploy, another trap meant to get her way.

He observed her as she absently brushed away the tear and closed her eyes, a look of disgust now clearly showing on her face. "How little you know me, Josef, even after all of these centuries," she told him, her voice tinged with accusation and intense sadness. She looked at him once more, her eyes still clouded with yet more unshed tears. "Whatever I did, it was only out of concern for you."

Josef stared at her in total disbelief, his mouth hanging open. He slowly shook his head, not even coming close to understanding what she had just told him. An accusatory laugh bubbled up from somewhere inside him, as he turned and walked a short distance away. "Concern……for me?" he repeated and threw back at her, as he faced her once more. "Almost killing me…..was that supposed to be for my own good? Is that what you're telling me?" he nearly shouted.

Elena did not so much as blink at his anger, her face still set in sadness and perhaps regret. "Yes," she answered simply, her voice having lost its ever youthful strength.

He simply stared at her, his eyes asking all of the questions that his voice could not.

She smiled sadly at him. "You never did understand me, although I had hoped that one day you might. But I did……I did finally come to grasp what your intentions were."

"My intentions?" he asked, confused yet again.

"I thought……" she began, but could not finish, shaking her head as she walked away from him.

He followed her, now intrigued. "You thought what?'

When she faced him once more, the tears that had been threatening were now falling freely. "In all my years, Josef…….in the over 1500 years that I have been a vampire, I have only turned 3 people. Three, Josef. Yourself, the young woman now resting in the next room, and one other, a man who blackmailed me into giving him immortality in exchange for keeping my secret." She quickly wiped away the moisture on her cheeks as she continued. "I know that you do not as of yet understand my motives for making Bethany one of us. But do you understand why I brought you over?" she asked, her eyes now as open and unguarded as he'd ever seen.

He thought for a moment, and realized that he truly did not know the reason. She had always appeared to enjoy his company and maybe he thought that had been enough. But hearing now how so few she had ever turned, he began to wonder. He simply shook his head, his brow furrowed in confusion and maybe something akin to worry.

A miserable smile barely turned the corners of her mouth. "I thought not. You were……I thought that you were to be my companion, my equal, the one to share this wretchedly eternal life with me." She saw the shock on his face and laughed. "Your energy, your vitality, your youth….they were like an elixir to me, intoxicating and exhilarating to the point of distraction. You so quickly adapted to our way of life, and your enthusiasm for new experiences was boundless. As each day passed, I believed more and more that you were indeed my perfect partner." She stopped then and went to sit on one of the well-appointed sofas. Sighing sadly, she continued, "But all was not as glorious as it appeared. You became…….insatiable. Your voracious appetite for all that life could give you knew no limits. You consumed whatever you wanted and discarded things, people, objects, places with no remorse, no afterthought. Each day, each year I stood by and watched you become more and more uncontrollable. You met my pleas for discretion and commonsense with laughter and ridicule. And when you left me, I felt only relief, for you were becoming a danger not only to yourself but to those around you."

She looked up at him then and saw the disbelief, the bewilderment on his face. "You do not recall any of this, do you?" she asked him, not really expecting an answer. Again she shook her head, and continued. "I did not see you then for another century, and I could not believe, in all of that time, how much you had changed, how power hungry and ruthless you had become. You toyed with those around you like they were nothing more than pawns on a chess board. They served a purpose and nothing more, they held no value to you, and were therefore expendable. It was then, when I had seen for myself that you had fallen almost beyond redemption, that I decided that I was the only one who could reign you in, the only one who could stop you. So yes, I did the unthinkable. I left you alone for weeks on end, with only your tortured mind as company. I left you until I could feel your spirit break, until I knew that I could once more control you."

Josef's eyes now focused on nothing as he ran Elena's words through his mind. He desperately didn't want to believe that what she had said was true, but something in the back of his mind verified each accusation. He had been drunk on power, had loved each minute of freedom and decadence that their lifestyle had afforded them. Had he really been that out of control, that sadistic, that cruel? He slowly walked to one of the chairs in the room and sat down almost dejectedly. He looked up at her once more and saw the same sorrowful smile on her face, her eyes still shimmering with tears and somehow knew that she'd told him the truth.

"I didn't……I never meant……." he attempted to explain and found that there were no words that seemed adequate.

Her smile warmed a bit as she reached out and lay her hand on top of one of his. "I know. You never loved me. Well…..not in the way I had hoped for anyway. You truly have only loved two people during your entire life……yourself……" she paused, her eyes now showing some amusement, "……and a young woman now laying motionless in a bed many thousands of miles from here."

Josef's head snapped up at the mention of the young woman, clear shock registered on his face. "How did you know?"

Elena's hand grasped his more firmly, her smile widened. "I know everything there is to know about you, my love, " she told him, the endearment taking on new meaning to him.

The fact that Elena knew so much about his personal life, left Josef more than somewhat disconcerted. He abruptly stood and walked away. Turning then, he asked with much trepidation, "So do you still control me?"

Elena seemed to ponder her answer for some time before responding, "I believe that we each control the other. We have known each other many years, Josef. We know all to well how to elicit a reaction out of the other."

He weighed what she said and knew it to be, at least in part, very true. They did know which buttons to push in order to make the most of any situation. And he could not deny one thing in particular, he had used her power, her wealth, her standing in the vampire community in order to further himself. He wondered briefly why he had never felt a bit guilty for that, and why now, of all times, he experienced a twinge of regret, of remorse.

"So how does Beth fit into all of this?" he asked finally, wanting, almost desperately, to change the subject.

"You think I had some devious plan, yes?" She watched him expectantly, but did not wait for an answer. "When she came here the other night, I had no plan other than to determine her character, to find the truth in whether or not she could be trusted with our secret. But I sensed something about her…….some dark future."

Josef returned to his seat and asked, "You saw this coming?" He'd known for the longest time that Elena was psychically gifted, often discerning danger before it occurred.

She nodded. "Yes. Not the exact nature of the danger before her, but I knew that it would be soon. As we spoke further, and she divulged to me the exact nature of her feelings toward young Michael, I felt the need to tell her of what I saw. She was, of course, quite disturbed. I asked her then if she could be presented another option, would she be tempted."

"You asked her if she wanted to become a vampire?"

Again she nodded. "Not surprisingly, she said that she had already been considering just that. Without telling her yet of the mechanics of how such a thing would be possible, I relayed to her exactly what her life would be like, telling her everything that she would need to leave behind, and how much she would gain in return. In the end, it was solely her decision, and one she eagerly accepted."

Josef thought through her words, and asked with more than a touch of curiosity, "So how did you end up turning her?"

"As we all know, the body must reach a point near death and the sire's blood must be introduced. What most do not know, is that it is not compulsory that those two actions to happen in that order."

Josef cocked his head to one side and questioned, "You fed her your blood? That night?"

"No. If done in reverser order, a human body will quickly dissipate the sire's blood. The recipient must ingest the sire's blood daily in order for it to be effective."

"So Beth has been drinking some of your blood daily……for weeks now?"

"Yes. She put the specially designed and sealed vials in the package that she took with her that evening."

"So…..you saved her life," he stated, still not totally comprehending everything that had transpired in the last hour or so.

"She is a remarkable young woman, strong, intelligent, charming. She is a good match for Michael," she told him plainly, but Josef understood the hidden meaning. Beth would be the partner to Mick that he would never be to her. He averted his gaze, hating that gut gnawing feeling that seemed to sneak up on him from time to time. Human feelings were a messy business, and pitfalls he had tried, and seemingly always failed, to avoid.

"How is she?"

Elena's smile grew, and Josef sensed that she truly did like Beth. "She is doing well. Once the initial shock and disorientation wore off, she quickly became fascinated with everything that seemed to make the world different. She soon wore herself out, however, and is now resting comfortably."

Josef nodded, vaguely remembering what it had been like for him in the first few days, how much having Elena there to guide him had meant to him. His mind quickly turned to another now all the more urgent matter.

"I need your help with something," he explained.

"Michael," she stated simply, some concern etched on her face. "I had wondered why he had not accompanied you here. Beth has been most anxious to see him."

"It's a long story, but he doesn't know that she's alive. He wandered away from the house under the impression that she died in that car accident."

Elena too looked concerned, ascertaining what the implications of such news would be. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply and went deathly still, apparently lost in some self-induced trance. She stayed that way for some minutes before her eyes popped open and she focused once more on Josef.

"Where is he? Can you tell" he asked nervously, not quite liking the look in her eyes.

"He is alive," she told him first, hoping to reassure him. "You will find him not very far from your home."

"Where is he?" he asked once again, his anxiousness escalating.

"He is...with Coraline."

To be continued……..

--


	17. Chapter 17

**With this Blood……..Part 17 **

Josef left the Beverly Wilshire much more calmly than the manner in which he had arrived. In fact, his steps were almost slow and deliberate, his mind still reeling from everything that had transpired many floors above.

He distractedly climbed into the back of the waiting limo and gave his driver the address to Coraline's house in the hills. As the car sped away, Josef's mind wandered in a myriad of directions. Not surprisingly, his thoughts landed time and again on his past with Elena. For hundreds of years, he had always viewed her as the beautiful enemy, the nemesis that he had been inexplicably attracted to. To hear that he may have been the cause of at least most of the chaos that had ruled his life for so long, left him unsettled and more than a bit guilty. He wanted to believe that Elena had made up most of what he had been told, but that annoying voice at that back of his skull would do nothing but verify the facts, the reality. He had been out of control. He had used and discarded people, humans, as if they were nothing more than play toys. And he had been on an almost unstoppable collision course with disaster, not only to himself but to the vampire race as well, when Elena had intervened.

For the moment, Josef pushed those thoughts aside. Now was not the time to indulge in introspection and a round of self-loathing. His life was what it was these days. Was he still more than slightly self-centered, using his vampire abilities to their fullest with sometimes little regard for others? Truthfully, yes. But compared to the old days, his actions were tame, his intent sometimes threatening but mostly filled with bluster and bluff. Not many people, human or vampire, knew that and he intended to keep it that way.

Shifting his attention to what mattered, he wondered what he would find when he arrived at Coraline's. Had Mick purposefully gone there? And if so, why? To seek comfort? To return to something he understood? Josef shook his head and decided not to even venture further down that path. He sincerely hoped for both Mick and Beth's sakes, that nothing had happened, but he couldn't help the feeling of dread that crept into his system. He knew Mick, and he knew Coraline. And more importantly, he knew how the two were when they were together. Earthquakes often left less devastation in their wake than these two did. How often had he been witness to the destruction, and more importantly how often had he been called upon to help pick-up the emotional debris? Looking out the window of his ultra-luxurious vehicle, he silently prayed that today would not be another of those times. He was tired, he was emotionally drained and he had no energy left to deal with the aftermath.

A half hour or so later, the limousine pulled up in front of Coraline's still stylish Beverly Hill's estate. Climbing from the vehicle, he took a moment to steel his nerves and to prepare himself the best he could for what might come. As he walked toward the door, a fleeting thought crossed his mind. How would Mick react to finding out about Beth if had indeed come here for more than just a shoulder to cry on?

Josef approached the door, took a deep breath, knocked loudly and waited. Seconds ticked by before he saw Coraline come rushing toward the door. And to his relief, she was fully clothed. And if he wasn't mistaken, she looked anxious, worried even.

Upon opening the door, the first words from her mouth were, "Josef! Oh thank God you're here!"

Looking at the beautiful brunette before him, he could now clearly see the anxiety etched on her face.

"Is he here?" he asked succinctly.

She nodded her head agitatedly and looked toward the back of the house. Without another word, she walked toward the rear, knowing that Josef would follow. She stopped only when the two arrived at the French doors leading to the rear of the property. With her arms wrapped tightly around herself, she merely said, "He's out there."

Josef peered through the glass and immediately saw what, or more precisely, who she was looking at. Mick sat on a low concrete wall surrounding the pool area. His back was to the house so Josef couldn't see his friend's face, but he could clearly see the set of Mick's shoulders, the slump of his body as he leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees. His entire posture and bearing spoke of defeat. Even from the back, Josef could tell that he was looking at a broken man.

"Has he said anything?" he asked, his gaze never wavering from the man sitting in some of the only shade afforded by the outside pergola.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Coraline nod slightly. "He only said three words the whole time he's been here."

Josef shifted his attention to her. "What did he say?"

Coraline looked back, her brow still furrowed in concern and maybe confusion. "He said, 'I lost her' and that was it." She looked at him for a few seconds more before finally inquiring, "Who, Josef? Who is he talking about?"

Josef looked away then, not really wanting to be the one to tell her. For all of Coraline's faults, he knew one thing was true. She truly did love Mick. It might have been twisted and more than a bit unhealthy at times, but he knew that in her own way, she did love him. And at this moment, he had no idea if she knew what had been transpiring between Mick and Beth. She had to have known about their attraction, but did she know how deep Mick's feelings ran for the young blond reporter. Taking a deep breath, he finally answered.

"Beth……he's talking about Beth. He received a message that she'd been killed."

He slowly turned his head and was astonished by the look on her face. There was shock, most assuredly, but there was also something else. Dismay…..sadness, perhaps. Whatever it was, he was surprised to see it. For all intents and purposes, Beth was a rival for Mick's affections in Coraline's eyes. To see her seem genuinely shaken at the idea of Beth dying was unexpected, and maybe even a relief.

"How?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper and slightly shaky.

Josef shook his head and tried to find the words to explain. "That's what he thinks happened, Coraline. It's not true….exactly."

"She's not dead?" she asked, a tinge of hope in her voice that Josef still had to wonder at.

"No," he told her truthfully, before adding, "Coraline……Beth's now a vampire."

He watched as Coraline's eyes widened, watched as her gaze became unfocused, watched as the enormity of the statement finally sunk in. Her gaze then slowly shifted to the man still sitting outside. She stared for some minutes, her eyes never wavering. Josef had begun to think that she wouldn't say any more when she finally spoke up, her voice now taking on an almost dreamy or trance-like quality. "He just showed up here…….maybe an hour or more ago…….I opened the door and he just walked in. He wandered around almost like he was searching for something. He went from room to room. I followed and kept asking him questions but it was like I didn't exist to him, like he didn't hear me at all. Then he just walked out the back and sat down. I trailed after him, hoping that he would snap out of it, worrying that something had happened to him, that something was physically wrong. And he just stared off into the distance, totally ignoring my presence until he whispered those three words."

Josef observed her as she spoke, could see how much Mick's presence here had affected her, and how the news he had brought had shaken her. In the century and a half that he had known Coraline, Josef had to admit that there were still times when she could surprise him, times when he still was hard pressed to decipher what made her tick.

As Josef pondered Coraline's nature, he watched as she reached out her hand in order to open the door. He placed his hand on hers in order to stop her. The confused look she gave him was accompanied by, "Someone has to tell him the truth."

Josef nodded in apparent agreement. "But that someone isn't you, Coraline."

She frowned at him, clearly not happy with what he had said. She opened her mouth to say something further, but he interrupted before she could begin.

"You have to let him go. You know that, right?" A blank stare was his only response, so he continued on. "Coraline……Mick loves Beth……he is _in love_ with Beth."

"But….."

"No, Coraline. There are no but's. There are no what if's. Whatever the two of you had together died the night you kidnapped a 4 year old girl and threatened to turn her into a vampire for no other purpose than to cement a failing relationship. He never forgave you for that, and he never will."

The look on Coraline's face was one of disbelief and distress. Her eyes darted between the man who stood in front of her and the man who sat motionless outside. She opened her mouth and closed it several times, clearly not sure how to respond.

"He still loves me……I know he does," was all she could say.

Josef almost pitied her at that moment, knowing that for more than 50 years, Mick had been the center of her sometimes obsessive affections. Now, she was being faced with the real possibility that she had lost him for good.

"Of course, he loves you, Coraline. Yes, he still cares about you. But that part of his life is over and he has a real chance at happiness now."

"With Beth……" she stated softly, her arms once again wrapped firmly around herself.

"Yeah…..with Beth. They're good together. They deserve this opportunity," he told her honestly, hoping that she would understand and finally try to let go. He watched as she took a shuddering breath, her eyes now riveted to Mick as he sat so forlornly on her terrace.

Josef observed her for a few moments more before finally opening the door and walking outside. He approached his old friend almost silently, as if he was worried that making any sort of noise might scare him off. He descended the few stares to the pool level and walked toward where Mick now sat.

"Mick?" Josef stared and waited for his presence to be acknowledged, but there was nothing, no hint whatsoever that he'd even been recognized. Trying again, he said, "Mick…..I've come to …..I'm going to take you to Beth."

He saw Mick wince and shut his eyes tightly. That was when he knew that he'd been heard, that Mick wasn't quite as catatonic as he appeared to be.

"I…..I can't……not like that," was all his friend could say, his voice nearly inaudible.

Josef took a deep breath and tried to find the words to explain. "Mick, Beth's not dead," he began, needing Mick to understand that first before informing him of anything else.

Mick slowly turned his head looked up at Josef, his brow furrowed and a mixture of anger and pain clearly etched in his eyes. "I saw the message……"

"So did I and thought the exact same thing," Josef told him. "But that's not everything."

Mick simply stared in response, his expression never wavering.

"Mick……Beth is…….she's a vampire." He finally said the words and waited for the reaction, which, judging by the steadily darkening gaze as an indicator, was not going to be good.

Mick slowly stood then and faced Josef, his head slightly tilted down, a look of seething rage slowly working its way across his face. "Who?" he asked in a low, menacing voice.

Josef didn't need an interpreter to know what he was asking. He wanted to know who had turned her, who had made her into the same type of monster he still viewed himself as. He thought for a second or two of how to explain, why things had happened the way they did, even how to protect the one person who probably needed his protection the least.

"Elena…….it was Elena," he finally told him, knowing the truth needed to come out eventually.

Mick snarled as his eyes flashed and his fangs were bared.

"It's not what you think……." Josef began before being interrupted.

"Really," Mick ground out through clenched teeth as he slowly began to pace, his hands clenched, his whole body screaming its readiness for battle.

"No, it's not," Josef returned forcefully. "It was Beth's choice, Mick. And she chose the way to be with you forever instead of dying senselessly in that car crash."

Josef watched his friend continue to pace although his movements no longer seemed as deliberate, the set of his jaw no longer as set in stone. Within seconds, he stopped completely. His head still down, he simply stated, "She knew about this……she knew this was going to happen." Josef knew he was saying it more to himself than anyone else. It was only then that he looked up, his eyes reverting to their normal color. "She knew."

Josef nodded. "Elena told her…….told her the night we were at her suite for dinner. She'd glimpsed her future and knew that she had little time left. She then gave her the option, told her how she could cheat death, how she could stay with you. It was her choice, her decision."

Mick's eyes took on a look of shock, disbelief. Shaking his head, he took a deep shuddering breath and tried to reign in his almost uncontrollable emotions.

Josef continued, "I told you……not everyone sees this as a curse."

Josef watched as Mick stood perfectly still, eyes closed. He didn't move for several minutes, and when he finally did, when he finally turned toward Josef once more, the look on his face had changed completely. The anguish, the rage, the shock and the disbelief had been replaced by relief and something akin to wonder. "I thought…." he began, his eyes filling with tears for the first time.

Josef smiled. "I know…….I know." He saw Mick take a deep cleansing breath, his face now upturned almost as if her was offering a silent prayer. "She's waiting for you, my friend, and I think we've made her wait long enough." Josef was pleased then to see Mick actually laugh, a wondrous smile gracing his face.

As the two turned and started toward the house, both stopped when they saw Coraline standing some ten feet away. Josef glanced briefly at Mick and knew that these two had unfinished business. "I'll be in the car," was all he said to them before making his way out.

-----------------------------

Mick saw the look of pain on Coraline's face and knew she had been witness to everything that had just happened. Slowly he made his way toward her, stopping just within arms reach.

She refused to meet his eyes, instead finding an interesting spot on his shirt and focusing her attention there. "You really do love her," she stated more than asked, her hand now reaching out to toy with one of the buttons on his shirt.

Mick's heart actually hurt knowing how much this was killing her. He raised his hands and gently took a hold of her arms. "Yes…..I really do love her," he told her simply, not wanting to drag this out any more than necessary, and not wanting to cause her undue pain.

"As much as…….." she began to ask, but he interrupted her before she could finish.

"Don't make me answer that."

Only then did she look up at him, seeing the answer that he wouldn't give her to her aloud.

"I love you Coraline, and I always will, but….." he stopped as he cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks. "What we had is in the past, and Beth……."

"Is your future," she finished for him, her eyes filling with tears as she attempted to smile.

He smiled back and simply nodded. He leaned forward then and gave her a simple kiss. A kiss meant as goodbye, and maybe even a kiss meant to heal the wounds both had inflicted on the other over the years. He then closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing her in one last time.

"You should go. Beth will be waiting," she said softly as she pulled back and looked into his eyes.

He caressed her cheek once more, smiled and then turned to leave. As he reached the French doors, he turned yet again and took her in as she stood with her arms wrapped around herself, a sad smile on her lips. He smiled again, and whispered, "Goodbye, Coraline." From the way her smile brightened for just a second, he knew that she had heard him. He turned then and left.

Once outside, he approached Josef's idling limousine and climbed in.

"Ready?" was all that Josef asked.

Looking back once more, momentarily flooded with all of the memories that this house invoked, he took a deep breath, turned toward his long time friend and said with a smile, "I'm more than ready."

To be continued……..

--


	18. Chapter 18

**With this Blood……..part 18 **

On the way back to Elena's penthouse suite, Josef filled Mick in on everything that had happened while he'd been missing, how Beth had been turned and a brief reasoning for why Josef, for some reason, now felt that they could trust Elena. Mick wasn't so sure he went along with those thoughts, but did give his friend the benefit of the doubt.

"So why Coraline's?" Mick heard Josef ask, more than a hint of skepticism and curiosity in his voice.

Mick swiveled his head to look at his long-time friend and answered as truthfully as he knew how. "I……I honestly don't know. I just started walking. I didn't care where I went or why. I just……went. After awhile, things started to look familiar, and that's when I saw her house." He paused then, not really sure how to continue or what to say. Because, truth be told, he had, for more than a few seconds, considered drowning his pain, allowing Coraline to consume him once again. Even as he had knocked on the door, he still hadn't decided what to do. But then he saw her, saw her olive colored skin, the dark hair and the even darker eyes and he knew that this wasn't what he needed, what he ached for. "I just….shut down. I felt like the life just drained out of me."

"Actually……the life was drained out of you 55 years ago," Josef supplied, that hint of sarcasm returning.

Mick just looked at him, not amused in the slightest.

"Sorry…..sorry……too soon, huh?"

Mick shook his head and tried his best to keep the smile that threatened from making its appearance. Josef's sometimes inappropriate sense of humor was one of the things he liked the most about his long-time friend. That, and the fact that he never called him on the bullshit that sometimes came from his mouth. Like just now. He knew that Josef was all too aware of what might have been running through his mind when he arrived at Coraline's door. The fact that he didn't bring it up meant more to him than he could ever say.

Sighing loudly, Mick looked out the window at the passing tree lined streets. "So how is she?" he finally got up the nerve to ask. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what to expect about life with now vampiric Beth. Their relationship had still been in its beginning stages and already they were being thrust into a whole new phase, and maybe, a whole new eternity. Not everyone reacted the same to the turning. Some came to accept it easily. Some fought it fang and nail. How would it be for Beth? And at the end of the transition, would she want to remain with him? Would she choose his lifestyle as opposed to that of most of the others in their community? Seeing how it was on the outside was decidedly different than having to experience it for yourself.

"I didn't actually get the chance to see her. She was resting when I arrived at Elena's."

Mick was suddenly worried. "But you're sure….."

"She's fine, buddy. I promise you," Josef interrupted.

Mick went back to staring out the window. And in spite of Josef's assurances, he continued to worry as each mile ticked by.

-----------------------------------------

The two arrived at the hotel some time later, and made their way once again to the secluded penthouse. Once inside, Mick quickly looked around and could see that Beth was nowhere to be found. Part of him was relieved, part of him was still all too anxious to make sure that she was indeed alright, although now undead.

Elena smiled warmly as she arose and approached her two visitors. "Michael…..I am so pleased that Josef was able to find you. He may not have informed you of this, but he was exceptionally worried for your safety and well-being."

Mick glanced at his friend and saw Josef almost nonchalantly shrug his shoulders and refuse to meet his gaze. He smiled at how the moment seemed to make Josef uncomfortable. Many words could indeed be used to describe Josef Konstantin, but caring and concerned rarely sprang to mind except in the context of financial matters.

Mick looked around once more, thinking that he would probably be able to sense where Beth now was.

"She is still resting, but she will wake soon. I am sure that our Bethany would be most pleased to find you at her side when she arose," Elena told him, her voice sincere.

Mick's attention then shifted to the other side of the room and to a man who now came toward them with glasses on a tray. The servant stopped next to Elena and awaited orders.

She took two of the crystal goblets and handed them to her two visitors and then took one for herself. Mick noted that there was one glass remaining. Smelling the fresh blood suddenly reminded Mick of how awfully thirsty he was. With little or no hesitation, he downed the contents in what appeared to be one swallow. His eyes closed, he felt the liquid work its way through his system, calming the beast within, at least temporarily.

Opening his eyes once more, Mick saw Elena smiling at him, another full glass in her hand. He looked at her, slightly puzzled. "For Bethany," she simply explained. "Perhaps you would like to bring this to her."

Mick accepted the glass and followed Elena's line of sight. With a quick glance at Josef, Mick turned and walked toward the closed bedroom door. He paused briefly before it, steadying his nerves. As quietly as possible, he turned the knob and slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. The room was only slightly darkened, the nearly sheer curtains doing little to keep the late afternoon brightness at bay. He then turned his attention to the woman lying unearthly still on the bed. He sucked in a breath when he saw her, and it took everything within him to remind himself that she wasn't dead. He no longer heard her heartbeat, no breath came from her body, no sound came from her whatsoever. The effect was chilling, to say the least. For a second or two, he wondered if he'd been lied to, that this was merely Beth's corpse, that some horrid mistake had been made, that the turning had gone wrong. And just as his agitation seemed to grow, he saw her move, her head turning toward him slightly, her nostrils flaring as she breathed in. Even with her eyes closed, even while still unconscious, she was either aware of his presence or aware of the glass of fresh blood that he held in his hand.

Slowly he edged his way toward the bed, placed the glass on the bedside table and sat next to her, his eyes never leaving her beatific face. She was an angel to him, had been since he first saw her some 22 years ago. Her presence in his life had been the catalyst, his reason for changing his all too hedonistic ways, for choosing to be a better man. And now, as his affection for her had blossomed into full fledged love, she had saved him yet again, giving him a reason for continuing, for wanting to actually live again.

He reached out a hand and tenderly stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers, immediately noticing that the warmth he associated with her was no longer there. He absently wondered what other differences he would discover in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Just then, her eyes snapped open, a quick and almost panicked breath sucked in. For a few seconds, her eyes registered nothing and then she quickly sat up, her gaze landing on everything and nothing. Mick sat completely still and waited for the momentary confusion to clear. He remembered all too well, those first few days, the strangeness of it all, the chaos that seemed to reign inside his head, how every noise, every movement seemed exaggerated and amplified almost to the point of insanity. As he waited for her alarm to subside, he took the opportunity to register what was different. The first thing he noticed was how very pale she seemed, the ruddiness to her cheeks that he associated with her youthfulness and vibrancy was gone. As she had so quickly sat up, the sheet that had covered her had pooled at her waist, revealing her naked form to his roving eyes. He noted that she seemed not to have noticed, or that she paid it no heed. The other thing he noticed was that the marks that he had left on her skin from his previous bites had disappeared. He wasn't surprised by that, but the discovery did leave a sense of sadness in its wake.

Just then, she finally registered his presence, her head turning toward him, her eyes briefly showing confusion. Then her expression cleared and a warm smile spread across her face. It lasted only for a second before he saw her dark blue eyes begin to glaze over, her fangs extend and the smile soon replaced by a snarling grimace. She then sniffed the air and zeroed in immediately on the glass setting on the nightstand next to him. With no hesitation he handed her the cup and noted how she almost spilled the contents in her zeal to grab it from him and consume its content. She drank quickly and greedily, cradling the cup to her almost as she was afraid of it being taken away. Even when the liquid was gone, she tried in vain to coax more into her upturned mouth.

He waited patiently until the bloodlust left her, waited until he saw her whole body relax, her shoulders slump and lose their rigidity, saw her beautiful face lose its frantic visage. As he himself had done just minutes before, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the after-effects of the feeding. Seconds ticked by and slowly she opened her eyes once more, a satisfied smile slightly gracing her lips. She blinked a few times and looked toward him once more. Now the smile was even more genuine and almost blinding, and a rosy glow slowly infused her face.

"Mick," she nearly whispered, her hand slowly reaching out to softly caress his cheek.

He sighed in relief, closed his eyes and turned his face more fully into the palm of her hand. He stayed that way for a few seconds more before opening his eyes. He noticed then that her attention was already drawn elsewhere as she looked toward the curtains. She lowered her hand, threw back the covers and maneuvered her way over to the window. She opened the sheers and looked intently at anything and everything, her eyes quickly darting here and there.

Mick sighed yet again, this time out of exhaustion and worry. When Josef had told him that Beth was alive, he'd had visions of breaking through the door and sweeping her into his arms. This reunion was nothing like he'd envisioned, nothing like he'd hoped. This Beth needed careful handling. This Beth was a new creature entirely, with powers and abilities she did yet have control of.

He rose and grabbed the blanket from the bed. Approaching her from behind, he gingerly wrapped her up and encircled her with his arms. At first, she didn't seem to notice, her hands plastered to the glass as she took in everything before her.

"I can see…..everything…..hear….everything," she whispered, her eyes huge as a child's would be staring through a toy store window.

"I know," he answered back softly, dipping his head and pressing a gentle kiss to her neck.

That seemed to bring her back to herself, if only for a moment. She placed her hand on one of his as it sat lightly around her waist. "Do you feel like this all of the time?" she asked of him, her words reminding him of the same question she had asked him months before when she had taken some of the Black Crystal.

"You'll get used to it…..be able to tune out what's not needed," he told her honestly. Although he couldn't quite remember how long that had actually taken.

"I don't see how……there's just……so much of it."

He had no answer for that, so instead he just held on tighter, closing his eyes, and basking in the knowledge that he had her once again in his arms. He'd thought that he had lost her forever, and now……..

The door opened quietly behind them, and Mick turned his head slightly to see who had disturbed them. Elena. She stood there for but a second before crossing the room. She stopped beside them and looked almost affectionately at Beth and then at Mick.

"If you will allow me, I will help Bethany find some suitable clothing and then the two of us will join you and Josef in the other room."

Mick knew he was being dismissed and wasn't sure how he liked the idea of letting Beth out of his sight once more. Now that he had her back in his arms, he was almost needy in his desire not to ever let her go. He looked up at Elena and saw an understanding smile on her face. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of this woman. For years Josef had told him nothing except of her manipulations and overwhelming power. To see her now as a caring individual was perplexing and somewhat disturbing.

Slowly he unwound himself from her but not before whispering, "I'll be just outside," to Beth. He frowned slightly when he got no response. Elena's hand on his arm finally diverted his attention. He nodded and then left.

Rejoining Josef in the other room, Mick sat down heavily in one of the well-appointed chairs, a scowl on his face.

"I know that look," Josef said pointedly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Mick answered, his voice now as dark as his mood.

"Bullshit. What is it?" Josef insisted, although he gave him no time to reply before continuing. "Let me guess……our beloved Beth isn't exactly the same as when she left the party last night. And that, my dear friend, troubles you."

Mick didn't respond. He didn't need to. The two friends had known each other for half of a century. Josef knew his every mood, had seen him at his best and at his very worst, and still the two were the best of friends. Sometimes Mick wondered how or why, but most of the time, he was content to just accept that there was someone else on this planet who understood him.

"This takes time, if you remember. It wasn't that long ago for you," Josef told him plainly.

Mick scrubbed his hand over his face, and replied, "I know…..I know. It's just……"

Josef leaned forward and lowered his voice, "Just give it some time, man. A few months or so and she'll be back to sassing you on a regular basis."

Mick huffed softly and finally let a smile creep back on his face. "Yeah, I know."

The two sat in companiable silence for several minutes before Josef piped up, "I think…..I think it would be for the best if you left Beth with Elena…..for now."

Mick's head snapped around and he responded quickly, "No way in hell. She's coming home with me."

"Mick….."

Mick rose from the chair and glared down at Josef. "No, Josef. She leaves with me."

Josef heaved a sigh and stood as well. He gave his friend a sympathetic but sad smile. "I know that's where you want her to be, but is that what's best for Beth? There are so many things that she needs to be taught……."

"And I can do that," Mick answered forcefully, and almost too quickly.

"Really. And what about feeding, Mick? Are you willing to teach her how to feed off of humans?" Josef asked point blank.

Mick looked off, suddenly uncomfortable with the topic.

"That's what I thought. She has to be taught, Mick. She may not choose to live that way, but she still needs to be instructed how. So ask yourself, are you willing to do that? Will you show her how to hunt? How to seduce the prey? How best to feed? Which arteries are the best….."

"Okay…..okay, I get it!" Mick interrupted, one hand combing through his hair in agitation. He suddenly realized why he had been asked to leave Beth alone with Elena. Clearly she and Josef had been discussing what should be done next, and how best to proceed. And the two knew that there was only one person on Earth who could convince him to do something he didn't want to do.

The two remained silent for several minutes, before Josef spoke up once more. "A few months should be……."

"One month," Mick returned, his eyes resolute and unyielding. Josef may have talked him into this, but he'd be damned if he didn't have some say in what happened next.

Josef stared at him for several seconds before slowly shaking his head, a slight smile gracing his lips. "Stubborn son-of-a-bitch."

Mick couldn't help but return the smile. "Yeah….and your point?" The two laughed quietly, allowing the tension to seep away.

Just then the door behind Mick opened, and he turned to see Elena and Beth walk toward him. His smile widened when he saw how beautiful and healthy she looked now dressed in a simple yet elegant dress. Her eyes immediately locked with his and she smiled in return.

When the two got close enough, Mick held out his hand and Beth grasped it. He drew her in and wrapped his arms around her once more. This time, she melted into his embrace, and he sighed happily. This was the Beth he remembered, the one who had stolen his heart and captured his soul. The two remained that way for a bit before she pulled back and said, "Elena said that I'll be staying with her for awhile." Her eyes looked deep into his and he felt like he couldn't breath. Was she looking for reassurance or simply stating a fact?

"Just for a few weeks….maybe a month. We think that might be…..it might be for the best….right now" he told her hesitantly. "But if you'd rather not, we could always……."

"No," she interrupted him. "No, I think that might be a good idea."

It took every once of strength and determination to keep the look of disappointment off of his face. And where he found the will, he didn't know, but he somehow managed to smile at her, hoping that she didn't see through to the fear that was already eating away at him.

It must have worked, for her smile broadened and then she wrapped her arms around him once more.

Mick held her tightly and looked at the two other occupants of the room. In Elena's eyes, he saw only understanding and support. But in Josef's eyes, he saw something he couldn't name. Uncertainty or something else? For a second, Mick could have sworn that his old friend looked forlorn, sad and……maybe a bit envious. He wasn't sure which concerned and bothered him more.

To be continued……..


End file.
